Care Bears in Oz
by CB Blackwell
Summary: The Care Bears are back in a brand new magical adventure, straight from the beloved book and the classic movie! A mission to help a girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto turns into an adventure when the Care Bears are swept up in a tornado and end up in the merry old land of Oz! Can the Wizard help them and their new friends make their wishes come true? New chapter every day!
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

The carnival had just come to town, and there couldn't have been a better day for it. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was packed, with dozens of people riding the rides, playing the midway games, and indulging in tasty food.

For Chris, however, it was not all that it was cracked up to be. The reason was because he had to take his little sister Karen and her friends. He had much better things to do that day. But no, he had to be stuck babysitting.

Karen, like everyone else attending, had the best time, along with all of her friends. She was always so cheerful and so curious, and this trip just made her even more so...Even if it was at the annoyance of her brother.

One of the star attractions – and one that Karen just couldn't wait to check out – was Professor Marvelo's Gallery of Wonders and Stupendous Show of Illusions. Chris just simply rolled his eyes as he and Karen went inside.

The Gallery of Wonders was filled with many curious objects on display. One of them was a vibrant green dress decorated with emeralds. Another one was a brick that glittered like gold. Yet another one was a bottle labeled "liquid courage". And there were so many more. Karen had never seen things like this before, and she eagerly looked upon each one in wide-eyed wonder.

She would say, "Look at this, Chris! Look at this! Wow, look at this! Isn't this amazing, Chris?"

Chris did nothing but shrug and sneer. He never saw objects like these before, either. But, as far as he could tell, they were all fake. He just wanted to go home, and not embarrass himself anymore. He was lucky none of his own friends were around.

But the Gallery of Wonders wasn't enough for Karen. The Show of Illusions was starting soon, and she, her friends, and Chris got in and got some good seats. She was so excited that she could burst at any moment. Chris, on the other hand, just slumped in his seat, hoping to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"Magic shows are so dumb," he said to himself.

As the lights dimmed, a low growling sound could be heard from behind the curtains. Karen and her friends scooted up to the edges of their seats. Just then, a large furry hand emerged. Almost the entire audience gasped. Then the curtains tore open. Standing right on the stage was a large beast. It had the head of a rhino and the body of a monkey, with five green eyes and brown fur all over its body. Karen and the rest of the audience stared up at it in awe. But Chris quickly spotted the strings holding the beast up. Just an overly large puppet.

The beast puppet roared at the crowd, spewing green fire out of its mouth. The audience gasped and leaned back in their chairs. Fortunately, the fire dissipated before it could touch any of them. To Chris, it was all just flame jets and chemistry.

"Welcome," the puppet roared, "To Professor Marvelo's Stupendous Show of Illusions!"

An explosion of smoke and sparks filled the stage, causing the audience to gasp again. But the gasps were followed by cheers as the puppet disappeared and a lanky old man with old-time clothes and a top hat stepped out in its place. His hair protruded out into curled points on either side of his head. As the smoke cleared, the man bowed to the audience.

"Welcome, welcome!" the man called to the audience. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am Professor Marvelo! Magician extraordinaire! And I am about to show you some of the most fantastical illusions you'll ever see! Truly one of a kind! As I!...Am truly one of a kind."

Chris rolled his eyes again and blew a quiet raspberry to himself. That's what all magicians like to say, he thought.

"Now!" Marvelo continued. "Allow me...To dazzle the senses and excite the mind!"

The Professor proceeded with his act. He had a large assortment of props and puppets. In addition to the large beast, he also had a life-size puppet of a lady, in a dress similar to the one in the Gallery, as well as a large orb that flared like a fireball. Many of these props he threw his voice to, like a ventriloquist. He also made use of mirrors, smoke effects, cards, and his own hat. He even picked an audience member and told her fortune via crystal ball.

Of course, Karen was thrilled and delighted with all of it. But Chris wasn't buying any of it. Whoever this Professor Marvelo was...To Chris, he was nothing more than a shallow, phony showman.

After what felt to Chris like an eternity, the show finally ended. Marvelo exited the same way he entered...Via a strong blast of smoke, and to ecstatic applause.

As Chris and Karen left with her friends, Karen said, "Wasn't that amazing, Chris? He's so amazing!"

"Whatever," Chris said, blowing another raspberry. "He's just another 'magician'. Seen them all before."

"Aww, c'mon, Chris!" Karen protested. "You haven't seen all THAT before! This one is different!"

"Eh, don't care," Chris said, shrugging. He looked up at the sky. The sun was still shining, meaning it wasn't even close to curfew yet.

"Hey!" Karen exclaimed, tugging on her brother's shirt. "Why don't we go and see him?"

"Wh-What?!" Chris shouted. "But we just did!"

"No, silly!" Karen giggled. "I mean see him backstage! I wanna know his secrets!"

Chris groaned loudly. The last thing he wanted was anything to do with that eccentric old man. But, unfortunately, he had to be a good big brother.

"Fine," Chris sighed in defeat, "We can go and see him."

So Chris followed Karen and her friends back into the seating area, and up to the stage. Leading the way, Karen pulled back the curtain and looked past it.

"Mr. Marvelo?" she called. "Mr. Marvelo?"

"I can't believe we're doing this," Chris said.

"Mr. Marvelo?" Karen called again. She walked through the curtains and into the backstage area, with her friends and Chris following behind. There they saw a lot of the props used in the show, as well as some of the wondrous objects from the Gallery. There were also some strange machines. "Mr. Marvelo?" Karen called once again. "Where are you?"

Then the Professor emerged suddenly from a smaller set of curtains. "Oh! Well, what do we have here? What might a group of children such as yourselves be doing in a place like this?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Chris said quietly to himself.

"Mr. Marvelo!" Karen cheered. "We wanted to see you!"

"See me?" the Professor repeated. He then laughed amusingly. "Well, see me you shall! You must be dying to know the tricks of my trade."

"Yes!" Karen shouted. "You must have a lot of talent, Mr. Marvelo!"

"Oh, I don't just have a lot of talent, my dear," the Professor said as he opened a small chest on a nearby table. "You see, I have the experience to go along with it. I have been all over the world. Even to places," he continued, taking something out of the chest, "Normal men could only dream of!" He whirled around and displayed a pair of shoes. But these shoes shined a bright red color, brighter and more brilliant than any of the children had ever seen. In fact, they looked like they were made out of rubies.

"Wow!" Karen said, her eyes sparkling. "Where'd you get those?"

"These, my dear," the Professor said, putting the shoes down in front of the chest, "Along with everything else within my Gallery of Wonders...All come from such a special place. One that you may not imagine is real...But believe it, it is as real as all of the rainbows in the sky."

Chris rolled his eyes again. He wasn't going to let himself fall for any of this crazy man's stories. Although he did find himself intrigued by the ruby shoes the Professor pulled out, against his better judgment.

"Surely you are familiar," the Professor said with a twinkle in his eyes, "With the story of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz?"

"You mean that old movie?" Chris asked. "The one that's like a million years old?"

"Oh, it's not just the movie I'm talking about," the Professor continued, pulling up an old wooden chair. "The original book was written by one L. Frank Baum, in the early 1900s. The whole world was simply ENTRANCED by this story, and the ones that followed. Little did anyone know...That Baum...Was actually writing about...A REAL place. I should know...Because I've been there myself."

"Wow," Karen uttered. "You mean the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man...Are all REAL?"

"Oh, indeed they are, young lady," the Professor said, sitting down on the chair and facing Chris, Karen and the other children. "And many different stories have been told about them, and the magical land of Oz. But," he stuck a long, skinny finger in the air, "I have my own personal favorite version. And it involves some certain friends of mine: The Care Bears."

"Really?" Karen asked excitedly. "So Tenderheart Bear, and Cheer Bear, and Braveheart Lion...They're all real, too?"

"Oh, brother!" Chris shouted. "Now I've heard everything!"

"Now, sit down, everyone," the Professor said, "And I shall tell you all about it. The Care Bears, and their adventure in the merry old land of Oz. Along with a young girl whose name should be very familiar." Karen started to say the name, but the Professor shushed her gently. Chris, Karen, and the other children all sat down and eagerly awaited the Professor to start telling his story. "And you, young man," he continued, pointing at Chris with a smirk, "You may be doubtful right now. But, when this is over, I will make a believer out of you, too."

"We'll see about that, old man," Chris sneered.

Once everyone had gotten settled in, the Professor cleared his throat, and began his story...


	2. The Tornado

CHAPTER 1

It all began in the land of Care-a-lot. As you know, Care-a-lot is normally bustling with cheer, fun, and all manner of activity. This day, however, was awful blustery. It was some of the most intense wind that Care-a-lot had ever received. Stars and clouds were being blown out of place. Some sections of buildings were ripped off. Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins all around were getting blown all over. The wind was so bad, that it even woke Bedtime Bear right up...And, for once, he STAYED awake!

It was apparent that a HUGE storm was on its way. So, the Care Bears and Cousins did all they could to get ready. Some of them went all over Care-a-lot, repairing the torn off patches with fresh clouds, and boarding up the windows.

Grumpy Bear and Braveheart Lion just finished putting the finishing touches on a cloud house.

"There!" Braveheart said, wiping his brow. "That oughta do it!"

"Hmph," Grumpy huffed. "Of course WE have to be the ones doing all of the work."

"Not ALL of the work, Grumpy!" Braveheart assured. "Besides, we're good at this!"

Grumpy groaned the way he usually did, before they moved on to the next house.

However, a few Care Bears braved the windy weather and continued to perform their duties. Chief among them were Cheer Bear and Wish Bear, standing just mere feet apart, looking down through their Star Scopes.

"This wind is pretty scary, huh Cheer?" Wish asked.

"It's not that bad," Cheer giggled. "You just have to keep your spirits high during times like this! It's the best way to get by!"

"It's certainly one way," Wish said with a smile.

Meanwhile, at the Hall of Hearts, the other Care Bears and Cousins crowded in to take shelter. Tenderheart Bear and Lotsa Heart Elephant were helping them all. From the far side of the room, Baby Hugs and Baby Tugs looked on with great curiosity.

"I wonder what's going on, Tugs?" Hugs asked.

"Looks like a party," Tugs said.

"A party? Wow! What kinda party?" Hugs asked. "I don't see any decorations!"

"Wonder if we can find some?" Tugs asked.

"Yeah! Let's go look for some!"

And so the two of them ran off to another part of the Hall to begin their search.

After the Care Bears and Cousins got into the Hall, they all huddled together. In that crowd, it was hard for anyone to know if Hugs and Tugs were still around.

"That should be just about everyone!" Tenderheart said as the last of them came in.

"Almost everyone!" Lotsa Heart replied. "And that's the truth!"

Just then, Bright Heart Raccoon came into the room, holding several sheets of paper in his hands.

"Hello, Bright Heart!" Tenderheart called. "Do you have an update on the storm?"

"Yes, Tenderheart," Bright Heart responded. "I calculate that the storm should be approaching Care-a-lot in approximately 37 minutes and 14 seconds."

"Then we have to go get everyone still out there before then," Tenderheart declared.

"I agree," Bright Heart nodded.

Suddenly, Cheer and Wish burst in and ran up to Tenderheart.

"Can somebody help us?" Wish asked with much urgency.

"What's wrong, Cheer and Wish?" Tenderheart asked.

"Sorry about the timing, Tenderheart," Cheer said, catching her breath, "But this is an emergency!"

"We found a girl down there," Wish explained, "And she needs our help!"

"What's wrong with her?" Tenderheart questioned.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "This must be very urgent if it's to be attended to with a storm of this magnitude approaching."

"It IS urgent!" Cheer exclaimed. "This girl...She's running away from home!"

Everyone gasped.

"What's she doing out in this weather?" Lotsa Heart asked. "Running away is already bad enough! But this is REALLY bad! And that's the truth!"

"Then we need to help her out right away!" Tenderheart said with purpose. "Which of us do you two need, Cheer and Wish?"

"You, Lotsa Heart, and Bright Heart," Wish said. "And..."

Behind them, Grumpy and Braveheart came in.

"Well, that's everything!" Braveheart said. "All of the buildings are safe!"

"I never understood," Grumpy complained, "How old planks of wood could protect against storms. You'd think we would have something better!"

"Grumpy! Braveheart!" Cheer cheered.

"Huh?" Grumpy and Braveheart both exclaimed, startled.

"You two are just the ones we need!" Cheer said exuberantly.

"Well, you heard her, Grumpy!" Braveheart said. "We have some work to do!" He stepped forward proudly, grabbing Grumpy's hand and dragging him along.

"Awww," Grumpy groaned, "Why would we need to go down there at a time like this?"

"Trust us, Grumpy," Wish said, "It's really important!"

"Off to the Care-a-van!" Tenderheart shouted.

Prior to leaving, the group shut the front doors and told the rest of the Care Bears and Cousins to stay huddled up and safe. "I calculate that we shouldn't be gone for long at all," Bright Heart assured. The group then walked out a back door and to an entire line of Cloud Cars and Care-a-vans. Thankfully, chains held them all in place. That way, none of them would blow away. The group piled into the closest Care-a-van available. Tenderheart took the driver's seat, making sure to buckle his seat belt, along with everyone else.

"I calculate that this wind will attempt to throw us wildly off course," Bright Heart commented.

"What else would you expect from a vehicle made of CLOUDS?" Grumpy asked.

"Don't worry!" Cheer giggled. "I'm sure Tenderheart will still practice safe driving. Isn't that right, Tenderheart?"

"You bet!" Tenderheart shouted from up front. "OK, everybody ready? Hold on tight!" He turned the ignition key, and the Care-a-van broke off from its chain and took off into the blustery skies.

Down they went, through layers of thick, fast-moving clouds. The strong winds pushed and pounded at the Care-a-van, but Tenderheart was able to keep it well under his control.

Lotsa Heart looked out the window. "It certainly doesn't look good out there. And that's the truth!"

"So, Wish, Cheer," Braveheart said, "What can you tell us about who we're going to go see?"

"Her name is Dorothy," Wish explained. "She's 12 years old, and she's running away from home with her dog. That's why this is so urgent!" She then explained to Tenderheart what she looked like, where to go, and how to spot her.

They continued downward, dodging flocks of geese and various pieces of trash and debris. One time, a cat blew onto their windshield. They all gasped at this. But, Tenderheart wiped it off with the wipers, and the cat was once again swept up by the wind.

"Wow!" Braveheart said. "This IS a really bad storm!"

"So we have to hurry!" Lotsa Heart said.

Finally, they emerged out of the clouds. Lying before them were long stretches of grey prairies and farmland, dotted with farmhouses. They all looked quite dry.

They zeroed in on a dusty back road, one that people very seldom tread on.

"I see her!" Tenderheart cried. And they continued their descent.

Walking down the road was Dorothy. She was a brown-haired girl, whose hair was braided in pigtails. She wore a jean jacket over a white shirt, with a long white skirt and worn out leather shoes below. She also carried with her a large suitcase. Walking alongside Dorothy was Toto, her scruffy little black dog. It was obvious that both of them were getting tired.

"Come on, Toto," Dorothy sighed. "Let's stop for a rest."

They did so on a large, dried out log. Dorothy sat down, while Toto jumped on. The girl eyed the gloomy skies nervously. She hoped that they could reach a safe shelter before any big storms hit.

Meanwhile, the Care-a-van zoned in on her location.

"We got her!" Tenderheart called triumphantly. "Now, we just need to make a safe landing."

Suddenly, a rogue gust of wind slammed into the Care-a-van, causing it to spin. The group screamed inside as they careened out of control.

"Hold on, everyone!" Tenderheart shouted.

On the ground, Dorothy heard what sounded like an airplane coming towards her. "Huh?" she uttered as she stood up. She looked behind her...And there was the Care-a-van, coming right for her! She gasped, "Toto, duck!" She grabbed her dog and took cover behind the log as the Care-a-van flew overheard. It then crash landed in a wide ditch on the other side of the road.

When Dorothy looked up, she saw the Care-a-van, stuck in the prairie grass. She and Toto ran over to it. She was worried about whether the occupants of this strange vehicle were all right.

The door popped open, and the Care Bears tumbled out. Dorothy leaped back in surprise, and the startled Toto began barking.

"Hey!" Dorothy shouted. "Who are you? Are you OK?"

"We're as OK as we can be," Grumpy said, "Considering the thing is a wreck now."

"But it's OK!" Cheer said. "What's important is that we got to you!"

Toto focused much of his growling and barking at Grumpy. "Don't waste your energy," Grumpy said.

"Sorry," Dorothy said, picking up her dog, "He doesn't mean it. Toto's really a good dog."

"We're sure he is!" Cheer said.

Dorothy looked over the strange group that stood up before her. Then she realized...

"You," she said, "You're the Care Bears! Wh-What are you doing here?"

"We're here," Wish said, "For you, Dorothy."

At first, Dorothy was quite confused. But then, she gave a heavy sigh, as she got a good idea of why they were here now...

"Let's sit down," Braveheart said. "Then we can talk about this."

They all made their way back to the log. Toto and the Care Bears jumped up, and Dorothy simply sat back down.

"This is about me running away, isn't it?" Dorothy asked with much guilt.

"That's the truth," Lotsa Heart said. "So, why are you running away?"

Dorothy sighed once again. "Well...There's this mean old lady in my town, named Mrs. Gulch. She's been accusing me and Toto of making trouble around the entire town. But really, it was just Toto digging in her garden and scaring off her cat. He doesn't know any better, though. He's just curious."

"So," Braveheart said, "What did that all have to do with you wanting to run away?"

Tears started to seep out of poor Dorothy's eyes. "Well, today she finally had enough. She said she was going to..." She sniffed and choked on her tears. "Put Toto down!"

The Care Bears all gasped in shock.

"That's awful!" Cheer cried.

"That's way too harsh for something like that!" Grumpy said.

"But, scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said as he petted the dog, "Toto is here right now. Isn't he?"

"That's because he managed to escape from Mrs. Gulch's clutches," Dorothy said. "But we had to get out! She woulda noticed that Toto had escaped, and then we would be in REALLY big trouble!"

"So THAT'S why you ran away," Braveheart said with disappointment.

"Aren't you worried about your parents?" Wish asked.

"I don't have any parents," Dorothy said. "I only live with my Aunt Em and my Uncle Henry. And all of the farmhands."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "Your aunt and uncle must be exceptionally worried about you at the moment."

Dorothy was at a loss for words. She must have forgotten about them when she made her fateful decision. She merely stared at the dirt ground.

"But, what else could I do about Mrs. Gulch?" she asked. "I can't let her take Toto away for good!"

"Come on, Dorothy!" Braveheart rallied. "It's easy! You just need some courage."

"And brains," Bright Heart added.

"And heart!" Lotsa Heart added. "And that's the truth! All of it!"

Dorothy sighed once more. "I don't know..."

"Well," Wish said, "What do you wish to find out there?"

"What...Do I wish?" Dorothy repeated.

"Or, what do you wish for in general?" Wish asked.

Dorothy sniffed and wiped her eyes. Toto put his paws on her leg and looked up with his own concern. "I...I wish...I wish I could find a place...Where there is no trouble. Somewhere...Over the rainbow." She looked to the skies with yearning. "Like Care-a-lot! Maybe Toto and I can go to live in Care-a-lot!"

"We wish you could, Dorothy," Tenderheart said remorsefully. "But, you can't."

"He's right," Grumpy said. "You have your own place!"

"Or," Wish beamed, "You can find your own place! Maybe not over the rainbow, but somewhere else out there!"

"But right now," Tenderheart said, "You need to be back at home, with your aunt and uncle."

"We can still help you find your special place," Wish said sincerely. "Maybe not now...But we can, sooner or later!"

Dorothy smiled. She felt very touched by the help and support of the Care Bears. However, she still did not know what to think or what to do next.

Suddenly, the wind picked up intensity.

"Oh, no," Bright Heart said in concern. "I calculate...That this wind storm will be approaching in approximately 22 minutes!"

"Then we'd better get you back home!" Braveheart said as he jumped off the log.

"But," Dorothy attempted to protest, "But!"

"Trust us!" Tenderheart said as he and the other Care Bears followed Braveheart's lead. "You'll be much safer at your house!"

"But what about all of you?" Dorothy asked.

"Don't worry about us!" Grumpy said. "We have our ways!"

"Now let's go and get outta here!" Lotsa Heart said.

Dorothy grabbed her suitcase in one hand, and held Toto in the other. They all then started down the road, in the opposite direction, toward Dorothy's house.

Meanwhile, the winds strengthened back in Care-a-lot as well. Everyone in the Hall of Hearts huddled closely and listened at the vicious winds pounding against the Hall!

In the back, however, Hugs and Tugs were much too distracted by the various toys and decorations they rummaged through. Hugs, however, started worrying. "Tugs," she said, "It doesn't sound very good out there."

"It's OK, Hugs!" Tugs said. "Everything will be just fine once we get those decorations out there and get the party going!"

Hugs nodded with unease, and continued looking through the boxes of party treasures and playthings. The window above them shook and rattled.

"Hey, here's a good one," Hugs said as she pulled out a kite with a long tail.

"That looks great, Hugs!" Tugs said, grabbing a hold of the tail. "This will be perfect!"

The window suddenly burst wide open! The terrible winds came in and scattered everything in the room! Hugs and Tugs tried to fight it, being sure not to let go of their new find.

Then, the winds picked up the kite, with Hugs and Tugs still holding on, and swept them all out the window! They swirled and twirled through the clouds. Where they were going, they didn't really know.

At the farm where Dorothy lived, there was chaos! The animals were getting spooked terribly, and dust swirled all around. On the horizon came a terrifying sight: A powerful cyclone, heading straight for the farm!

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, along with the farmhands, managed to secure the animals. As the cyclone got closer and closer, Aunt Em called out to Dorothy. There was no sign of her, though. Without much time left, they all rushed into the storm cellar just outside the house.

It wasn't much longer before Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears arrived. The front fence gate blew off its hinges as it opened.

"I calculate," Bright Heart shouted over the howling winds, "That we should now have 3 minutes before the tornado strikes!"

"Aunt Em and Uncle Henry must have the storm cellar ready!" Dorothy shouted. "All of you can hide in the house! I don't think they'll be in there now!"

"You got it!" Cheer shouted. "Now let's go!"

The Care Bears raced around the back. Dorothy went right to the storm cellar, only to find that it was already shut tight.

"Aunt Em!" Dorothy shouted as loud as she could, while pounding on the door with her foot. "Aunt Em! Uncle Henry! It's me, Dorothy! And Toto, too!" She waited for the door to open, but to not avail. The winds were so loud, that they must not have heard her.

The cyclone was quickly closing in. There was only one thing Dorothy and Toto could do now: Take shelter in the house, with the Care Bears.

She dropped her suitcase and ran straight for the front door. She threw it open, rushed in, and shut it again. The farmhouse was rather small. The Care Bears all bunched together in the back doorway, trying to get in.

"Dorothy?" Tenderheart exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?"

"The storm cellar is locked!" Dorothy said. "We couldn't get in!"

"Some luck that is!" Grumpy shouted.

Then, a mighty blast of wind pushed them all through the doorway and into the house.

"Come on!" Dorothy shouted. "We'll hide in my room!"

The Care Bears rolled off of each other, shut and locked the back door, and followed Dorothy. Her bedroom may have been small, but it was big enough for them all.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said with a nod, "That this will provide just enough structural support to withstand the tornado!"

Everyone took cover in various spots in the room. "Now all we have to do," Braveheart said, "Is hold on and brace ourselves!"

Dorothy hid under the bed, along with Toto, Cheer, Wish, and Tenderheart.

Outside, the wind got even stronger. The cyclone was almost on top of them.

Just then, something very curious happened. The house's foundation creaked and groaned, as it tried to hold itself to the ground. But, it was no use. The cyclone forced the foundation out, and the house was lifted right into the sky like a feather! Everyone held on to whatever they could as they felt themselves flying away.

The cyclone moved right along, carrying the tiny farmhouse along with it.

Not far away, Hugs and Tugs also got caught in the funnel. They held onto their kite for dear life, and watched all matter of objects go by, from cattle to bikes to bathtubs. They also spotted the house.

"Hey, I can see a house from here!" Tugs shouted.

"We can see a whole lotta things, Tugs!" Hugs shouted back. They were both terrified, but still tried to keep in good spirits. The wind forced them away, and the house disappeared from their sights.

Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears all remained in the cyclone for quite some time. Eventually, things calmed down.

"Think we're still in the tornado?" Wish asked.

"Only one way to find out!" Lotsa Heart said. He, Wish, and Cheer emerged from their hiding places and opened the window. Everyone gasped as they glanced outside.

The winds still swirled and howled all around them, along with all that matter of objects and debris.

"Oh, my!" Dorothy exclaimed. "How long are we going to be up here like this?"

"TOO long!" Grumpy said fearfully.

A man driving a car flew by. As he lingered momentarily in front of the house, he saw everyone inside and waved casually. The entire group waved back rather awkwardly.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "We should not be able to stay airborne this way!"

"But we are!" Cheer said.

"And that's the truth!" Lotsa Heart said, almost in disbelief.

Suddenly, Dorothy saw something that made her gasp in horror.

"It's her!" she shouted, pointing at the window. "It's Mrs. Gulch!" She held onto Toto, as if shielding him.

Right outside was an old, mean-looking lady in a plain grey dress, pedaling on her bicycle. At first, she paid no attention to the house, or anyone in it.

"That's the lady you were talking about, Dorothy!" Braveheart said. "Why, I oughta -"

Before Braveheart could finish, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Mrs. Gulch transformed into a horrible witch, riding on her broomstick and with her pure black cloak rippling in the wind! Everyone gasped and hit the floor, especially Dorothy.

"EEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!" the witch cackled loudly and evilly.

She zoomed out of sight, and the house started spinning wildly. Everyone screamed and continued to hold on.

After what seemed like a long, torturous time, the cyclone died down, and the house began falling back down to the ground below.

"HOLD ON, EVERYONE!" Tenderheart shouted.

They fell, and fell, and fell, until...

THUD!


	3. The Flying Monkeys

CHAPTER 2

Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears were all quite shaken after their sudden landing. Thankfully, none of them were hurt. But, everything was quiet, eerily so.

"I hope we're back on the ground now," Lotsa Heart remarked.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "We should be."

Tenderheart tried to look out the window. All he could see, though, was a blank wall. "I wonder where we ended up?" he asked.

"Only one way to find out," Cheer said.

The entire group sneaked cautiously out of the bedroom and through the house. Things were, quite surprisingly, not as messy as they all expected. In fact, it looked as though nothing had ever happened at all.

"We might be in the next county," Dorothy said, still holding onto Toto, "Or even in the next state."

They approached the front door, with Dorothy, Tenderheart, Wish, and Braveheart in the lead. They eyed it with great curiosity and unease. Who knows what lied in wait for them on the other side?

Dorothy grasped the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door. Bright sunlight poured in immediately, momentarily blinding the group. When their eyes adjusted accordingly, they stood in stupefied awe.

They were met with the sight of a quaint but beautiful town, with brightly colored houses. There were also bushes and trees, as well as a charming fountain. The skies had cleared up drastically. The Care Bears had never seen such a clear, beautiful blue sky outside of Care-a-lot.

They slowly stepped out onto the colorful brick pavement. They were at a complete loss for words.

"Oh, my," Dorothy uttered. "I have a feeling that we're not in Kansas anymore."

"Or Care-a-lot, for that matter," Lotsa Heart said, "And that's the truth."

Unbeknownst to them, they were being viewed at by strange and curious eyes all around...

The group continued walking around, taking in all of the fantastic sights. Butterflies even landed on some of the Care Bears' noses, to the absolute delight of Cheer and the annoyance of Grumpy. Toto's nose wiggled and sniffed wildly at all of the new smells around, as a butterfly touched down on it as well.

"We must be over the rainbow!" Dorothy shouted.

"Over the rainbow," Wish said, "And past Care-a-lot!"

"I'm guessing you don't know this place?" Dorothy asked sadly.

"Nope, nuh-uh," the Care Bears all said at the same time.

Bright Heart thought as hard as he could. But suddenly, he spotted something in the sky.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing.

"I dunno, Bright Heart," Braveheart said.

Everyone gathered together as they saw what looked like a shining crystal ball floating towards them. It didn't look malevolent, but they all backed away as it came closer, just to be safe.

Finally, the orb landed gently on the pavement. In a flash of light, it transformed. Standing before them now was a kindly old woman, dressed in a pure white gown and with a pointy white bonnet atop her silver hair. In her hand, she held a magic wand.

"Well," Grumpy said to the others, "Now we KNOW we're not in Care-a-lot anymore."

"Hello to all of you," the woman said sweetly. "Who might you all be?"

"Well, we're the Care Bears!" Cheer said enthusiastically.

"And the Care Bear Cousins," Bright Heart added.

The woman smiled with great warmth at all of them. Then she turned to Dorothy. "And, who might you be, oh witch from the heavens?"

Dorothy stared in surprise and bewilderment. "Who, me?" she asked, pointing at herself.

"Yes, you," the woman said, pointing with her wand. "After all, it was you, and your friends, who came down in that house of yours."

They all looked back at the house. As with the inside, it looked as though nothing had ever happened to it. It was quite a miracle, actually.

Dorothy turned back to the woman in white. "I'm sorry," she said, "But, I'm not a witch. My name is Dorothy, and I come from Kansas."

"But not the rest of us," Wish said. "We come from Care-a-lot. We were just trying to help Dorothy, and then we got caught in a tornado...And then we ended up here."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "Where is here?"

"You are in the land of Oz," the woman said, "Specifically, in the county of the Munchkins. And you should be most humbled, as your," she giggled, "Sudden landing, has done away with the Wicked Witch of the East."

She pointed to something that everyone missed before: A pair of feet, wearing striped socks and glittering ruby shoes, sticking out from under the house. Indeed, it appeared that the farmhouse had fallen right on top of the Wicked Witch.

They all stared in shock and surprise, Dorothy especially. "Oh my goodness!" she gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah!" Cheer said. "We didn't mean to land on her! It was an accident!"

"Regardless," the woman in white said in a calming tone, "The Wicked Witch of the East is no more, and the Munchkins are now free from her terrible reign." She then called out all around her. "It's all right! You may all come out!"

Everyone watched as small people emerged from the bushes, the houses, the trees, everywhere in the vicinity. They were exactly the same size as the Care Bears, and wore a matter of silly and old-fashioned outfits and hats of many colors. They crowded around the group and looked up at them with much cheer and gratitude.

"As the Good Witch of the North," the woman continued happily, "I am honored to present to you, your saviors!" The entire crowd of Munchkins, which surely comprised the entire town, cheered.

"Aww, shucks," Braveheart said bashfully. "We're not heroes. We were only doing what was right. It's what we Care Bears do!"

"And today," the Good Witch continued, waving her wand, "Shall be a day of independence! Let us celebrate, knowing that the Wicked Witch is no more!"

The Munchkins all cheered once again, and then partook in some very spirited festivities. They danced and sang merrily all throughout the humble little plaza. The group didn't know what to do at first, but it didn't take long before they joined in. They danced and made merry along with the Munchkins...Aside from Grumpy, of course, who normally didn't care for these sort of festivities. Dorothy enjoyed the celebration as well, temporarily forgetting about what was troubling her.

The mood wasn't all cheery, however. Behind one of the rooftops, a small group of villains watched suspiciously.

"What is this about the Wicked Witch of the East being DEAD?" the leader asked in a menacing growl.

"Well," one of the others said clumsily, "They didn't say anything about her BEING dead. Just, uh...Done away with? Did away with? No more?"

"You know what I mean, you pinhead!" the leader snapped. "Well, I say it's time to CRASH this little party!"

"Emphasis on the 'little'!" another in the group laughed in a raspy tone.

These shadowy villains descended from the rooftops, landing right in the plaza below. Their sudden entrance immediately cut the celebrations short, as the Munchkins, Care Bears, and Dorothy and the Good Witch gasped and jumped.

These villains revealed themselves as winged monkeys, led by the Monkey King. They all had fur in various shades and tones of blue, with the exception of the King's two right-hand primates, in light purple and grey, respectively. The King himself was a dark blue, and wore a red vest, as well as a crown on the top of his pointy head. The wings upon their backs looked quite strong and powerful wings.

"The Flying Monkeys," the Good Witch uttered, as Dorothy backed up against her.

"All right!" the Monkey King screeched. "Break it up, break it up!"

The rest of the monkeys sneered and bared their terrible teeth at everyone.

"Now then!" the King said. "Which one of you killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Was it YOU?" he said in an accusing tone, pointing at Cheer. "Or maybe YOU!" he pointed at Braveheart. "Or YOU!" he pointed at Grumpy. He looked over the group of Care Bears as they stared uneasily at him and the other monkeys. Braveheart and Grumpy frowned threateningly.

"It can't be any of them, boss!" the raspy purple monkey said.

"Yeah!" the grey one said in his clumsy tone. "They're way too cute to kill anyone!"

"Maybe," the King said. "But...Looks can be deceiving, you know."

"It was my fault!" Dorothy blurted out. The Monkeys spun towards the girl. "I'm the one who killed the Wicked Witch!" she explained. "But, it was an accident!"

"Hmph!" the King huffed. "Well, accident or not, the Wicked Witch is still dead!"

"Hey, boss, look!" the purple monkey shouted, pointing at the Witch's feet. "She's still got her ruby shoes on!"

The Good Witch gasped gently, but urgently. "The ruby shoes," she uttered.

The King turned his attention to the feet, with the ruby shoes standing out. "She sure does," he said. "Good work, Raspy!" He flew right over, unaware that the Good Witch was casting a spell with her wand.

"Now," the King said, reaching down, "We'll just take these and be on our – HEY!"

The shoes disappeared right before his eyes! And the feet curled up under the house. Now, no part of the Wicked Witch of the East was in sight any longer.

"Duh, where'd they go?" the grey monkey asked.

The King looked around in a fierce panic. Then, he spotted the shoes again...This time, right on Dorothy's feet!

"SHE has them!" the King shouted, flapping his wings and pointing harshly at Dorothy. Everyone turned to her and gasped in surprise.

Dorothy directed her eyes down to the shoes on her feet and let out a gasp herself.

"I'm so sorry," the Good Witch whispered sadly. "It was all I could think of."

"Get her!" the King shouted at the other monkeys. "Get the girl!"

The monkeys all rushed at Dorothy. But the Care Bears rushed to her first, and formed a fur-lined barrier around her. They all stood firm, giving the monkeys angry, determined looks.

"If you want to get to her," Braveheart said, "You'll have to go through US first!" The other Care Bears all nodded in agreement.

"And what are YOU all gonna do?" Raspy taunted. "Kill us with cuteness?"

"Yeah!" the King said. "Don't make us laugh!"

"Oh, yeah?" Cheer said defiantly. "Everyone! Time for a Care Bear STARE!"

At once, all of the Care Bears' belly symbols lit up, and their Stares shot out and zapped the monkeys, throwing them against the house.

"Oh, my," the Good Witch said. "Such power you have!"

"Derr," the dazed grey monkey said, "I guess THAT'S what they were gonna do."

"Shut up, Clumsy!" the King snapped, bonking Clumsy on the head. He jumped right back on his feet and growled at the Care Bears. "All right! If it's a fight you want," he said, "It's a fight you'll get! Flying monkeys! ATTACK!"

The vast majority of the Munchkins cleared out again, returning to their fairly safe hiding places from before. The monkeys jumped right up and spread their wings, ready to strike. They dive bombed the Care Bears, scattering them. The Good Witch pulled Dorothy back, just barely out of the reach of another monkey.

"That's right!" the King laughed. "Split them up! That way, they'll be easier to pick off!"

"That's what you think!" Braveheart roared. He hopped onto a porch and zapped a monkey with his Stare. Tenderheart and Lotsa Heart followed suit, shooting off their own highly effective Stares.

Cheer and Wish wound up together again. However, two monkeys were coming their way, from both side. They exchanged glances between themselves and the monkeys, not sure what to do at first. But they thought quickly. They both jumped out of the way, causing the two monkeys to collide into each other.

Grumpy and Bright Heart found each other, too. "Now what do we do?" Grumpy asked.

Bright Heart thought for a moment. "I do have one idea," he said.

Cheer and Wish split up again and jumped back into the fray, zapping monkeys all the way. Wish eventually had her back to a house, unaware of Raspy and Clumsy creeping up on the rooftop behind her. Just when they were about to grab her, they were knocked back by a pair of Stares. Wish looked up in alarm, then back to see that it was Cheer and Lotsa Heart who dealt those timely Stares. They gave her two thumbs up.

Hovering above the skirmish, the King looked all around, angry that the Care Bears were putting up such a strong fight. These were opponents that he had never seen coming.

"Hey!" Grumpy shouted from nearby, getting the King's attention. "You want me? Well, come and get me!"

"I'll use you as a rug!" the King shouted, diving towards Grumpy. Grumpy didn't even put up a fight, and let the King grab him.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said nearby, "That we will NOT become rugs any time soon!" Bright Heart threw open the second floor window he was hiding behind, and delivered a powerful zap to the King's behind, with his Stare shining like the lightbulb on his belly.

"Ow ow OW!" the King shouted, flying away and clutching his glowing red rear.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "That is considered a BURNING idea!"

Grumpy and Bright Heart gave each other thumbs up.

On the sidelines, Dorothy, Toto, and the Good Witch watched the fight. Dorothy was certainly glad that the Care Bears were keeping the monkeys occupied, and away from her.

And just her luck, Toto got overly excited, and he leaped out of Dorothy's arms and into the heat of battle.

"Oh, no!" Dorothy cried. "Toto! Come back here!" She ran right after the dog.

"No!" the Good Witch shouted.

She may have been concerned with chasing Toto through the town, but Dorothy didn't forget to dodge both the monkeys and the Stares.

Tenderheart noticed her. "Dorothy!" he shouted.

Meanwhile, the King's burning behind was just beginning to cool off. His temper, however, flared as hot as ever. "I swear!" he said to himself. He didn't even notice Toto running up to him, stopping, and growling at his swishing tail.

"I'll get those fluffballs!" the King cursed. "Even if it takes me a million -"

Toto lunged and bit down on the King's tail, hard.

"YOW!" the King screeched out.

He flung his tail around, trying to get the dog off. But, Toto kept a strong grip on him.

"Get! Off! Me!" the King shouted. "You mutt!"

Dorothy caught up moments later. "Toto!" she shouted. "This really is NOT the best time to be running around!"

Suddenly, Raspy and Clumsy flew up behind her and grabbed her around her arms. She shouted in surprise and horror. The King then snatched Toto and plucked him off of his tail. Toto snarled and barked at him.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you to be careful with your pets?" Raspy asked mockingly.

"Our mother never did!" Clumsy laughed.

"Well, you CAN call her that!" the King growled, rubbing his tail. He then widened his mouth into a sinister smile. "And I'm sure," he said, "She'll be VERY happy to have those shoes, once we get them to her!"

"No!" Dorothy shouted as the monkeys lifted her into the air. "Let me go! You can't have them!"

"She's right!" the Good Witch shouted from below. "You cannot have those shoes!" She stood in solidarity with all of the Care Bears.

All of the flying monkeys grouped together, getting behind the King, Raspy, and Clumsy.

"Oh yeah?" the King shouted back. "And what do all of YOU have to say about that?"

"I say," Tenderheart said, "It's time for a Care Bear...Countdown!" They all stuck their bellies out again, as they began their countdown.

"10! 9! 8! 7! 6!"

The King, Raspy, and Clumsy dropped Dorothy and Toto in pure shock. Thankfully, the Good Witch waved her wand and gave them both safe landings. Dorothy scooped Toto back up and ran to the Good Witch's side.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

"Why us?" the King squeaked.

"STARE!" Their Stares all combined into one large Stare, and blasted those monkeys right out of the sky! The King and the other monkeys crashed into the pavement, with small birds circling over their heads and their fur covered in dirt marks.

Meanwhile, the Munchkins poked their heads out of their hiding places, eyeing the defeated monkeys.

"Well, folks," Braveheart said proudly, "That should take care of them!"

The King had barely enough strength to lift himself back onto his feet. He growled in the angriest way he could.

"All right, you fluffballs!" he said. "You may have won this one! But, this is nowhere near over!"

The rest of the monkeys got up as well, and weakly took to the air again.

"Just you wait until the Wicked Witch of the West hears about this!" the King shouted. "Believe me, you do NOT want to get on her bad side! But it's too late, because you already HAVE!" Dorothy, the Good Witch, and the Care Bears watched as the King and his group flapped away in a huff.

"The Wicked Witch," Cheer said.

"Of the West?" Wish said, picking up where Cheer left off.

"You mean," Grumpy said, "There's more than ONE Wicked Witch?"

"Oh, I'm afraid so," the Good Witch said remorsefully. "And I'm afraid, you all may have just made a rather bad enemy of her."

The Munchkins all stepped out of their hiding places, though rather cautiously.

"Oh, it's quite all right," the Good Witch said to them. "The flying monkeys are all gone now."

They all came out in relief.

"I'm so sorry," the Good Witch said to Dorothy and the Care Bears, "But, I think it would be a wise idea to get yourselves out of Oz. You see, about the ruby shoes that you have there," she pointed at them. "Once the Wicked Witch finds out that you have them, she will stop at nothing to get them."

"Well," Grumpy said, "What makes them so special, anyway?"

"Those shoes," the Good Witch continued, "Contain very powerful magic. What that magic is, I do not know. I do know, however, that you must keep those shoes out of the Wicked Witch's hands, no matter what."

"So, what do we do?" Dorothy asked worriedly.

"I do know," the Good Witch said with a smile, turning to the west, "Of one person who can help you return to Kansas, and Care-a-lot."

"Really?" Cheer asked happily. "Who is that?"

"That would be," the Good Witch explained, "The Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz."

"Is he good?" Lotsa Heart asked.

"Oh, very good," the Good Witch said, "But VERY mysterious. I have no doubt, however, that he is capable of helping all of you."

"Then let's do it!" Wish cheered. "We'll go and see the Wizard, and he'll return us home! I bet he can even help you find your special place, too, Dorothy!"

Dorothy smiled. He did seem like a powerful wizard, and if he was, he would be very capable, indeed. "Yeah, he's sure to," she said.

"But how do we get to him?" Tenderheart asked.

"He lives in the Emerald City," the Good Witch said, waving her wand, "Far to the west, in the very center of Oz. You can get there by following the yellow brick road, right there." She pointed to the road in question, which led out of the main town plaza.

"So that's it, huh?" Braveheart asked. "Just follow the yellow brick road!"

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said with a smile, "You cannot get any simpler than that!"

But Dorothy became concerned. "I dunno," she said. "What if we get lost or something?"

"As long as you follow the yellow brick road," the Good Witch said, "You will not lose your way."

Dorothy and the Care Bears followed the road with their eyes, up until the horizon. It looked quite long.

"Looks like we'd better get going real soon," Lotsa Heart remarked. "And that's the truth!"

"Right," Dorothy nodded. "Well, it was real good meeting all of you. Take care, and wish us luck!"

The Munchkins all cheered for Dorothy once again.

"Oh!" the Good Witch said. "One moment! I would like to bestow a gift upon you first."

The Good Witch raised her wand up. With it, she gently touched Dorothy's forehead. Dorothy felt a warm, calm sensation, as a round silver mark appeared briefly on her forehead, and then faded away. The Munchkins talked and mumbled among themselves.

"The Good Witch's mark," one of them said.

"With this mark," the Good Witch said, "No harm will come to you. Although," she giggled, glancing at the Care Bears, "I have this feeling that you may be well off without it."

"Hey, it never hurts!" Cheer said.

"Indeed," Bright Heart said. "Scientifically speaking, you never know what sorts of trouble we might run into on our route."

"Thank you, Good Witch," Dorothy said, with a slight bow. "We'll do our best!"

"Good," the Good Witch said. She then stepped backward. "I wish you the best of luck and the safest of journeys. And never let those ruby shoes off of your feet. Farewell." A flash of light later, she turned back into an orb and floated away. The Munchkins all waved and shouted goodbye to her.

"Wow," Wish said, "People come and go so quickly here!"

"Well, let's not waste any more time!" Braveheart said proudly as he stepped forward. "Let's follow the yellow brick road and get to the Emerald City!"

"We're right behind you, Braveheart!" Tenderheart said. The rest of the Care Bears followed Braveheart to the road's beginning.

Dorothy hesitated at first. The road intimidated her. It made her unsure of how long the trip to the Emerald City would take. Nevertheless, she followed the rest of the Care Bears, and they all stepped on the first set of yellow bricks.

"Follow the yellow brick road," Dorothy said to herself. "Follow the yellow brick road..."

Before leaving the town, they all turned back and waved goodbye to the Munchkins. Then, they were on their merry way...


	4. The Wicked Witch of the West

CHAPTER 3

Karen and her friends would have been at the edge of their seats, if they had actual seats. But, they didn't mind. They were just fine on the floor. Chris couldn't say the same for himself, though.

"Wow, this is exciting!" Karen cheered. "This is a great story so far. Wouldn't you say, Chris?"

"I guess so," Chris said in an uncertain tone. "But I coulda done without all the cutesy Care Bears stuff."

The Professor chuckled amusingly. "Young man," he said, "If the Care Bears didn't have a place in this story...Then I wouldn't be telling it, would I?"

Chris didn't have a good response. Instead, he pointed at the ruby shoes, still in front of their chest. "Those shoes," he said, "They aren't...THE same shoes. Are they? No way they can be."

"You will have to wait until the end of my story," the Professor said, "In order to find out."

"Besides," Chris said, "How CAN the Care Bears fit into the rest of this?"

Karen thought for a moment. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed. "They're -"

The Professor shushed her suddenly, but gently. "Now now, young lady," he said. "You wouldn't want to spoil it for your friends or for your brother, now would you?"

Karen giggled gently. "OK," she said, "I'll keep quiet. So, Dorothy and the Care Bears are gonna meet everyone soon, right? The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion?"

"Very soon," the Professor said, as everyone got comfortable again. "But first, I must tell you of the enemy that they will soon go up against..."

The Monkey King and his band of monkeys flew far, far out into the west, where the sun barely shone, and the land was covered in perpetual darkness. They flew all the way to the castle belonging to their master, the Wicked Witch of the West.

They all made their landings on one of the castle's balconies, worn out from their battle and from the long flight.

"All right, you flea bags!" the King said. "Take about 30! I'm gonna go up and inform the big boss." He went into the castle and walked up a large set of stairs.

The King went through a radical change in attitude as he climbed up. "Ohhh, the Witch isn't gonna be happy about this at all," he said to himself, with some genuine fear in his voice. "I sure hope she doesn't bind my wings together, and tie my tail in a knot!" He grabbed his tail and stroked it sadly. "My poor tail. It's gone through enough torment already!"

Some time later, the King came across the large wooden door leading to the Witch's chamber.

Right on the other side, there was a dull grey monkey mopping the dark stone floor, with a bucket of water by his side. He was standing right in front of the door, when the King threw it open.

"Oh, boss!" the King greeted. "I'm back!"

The door unintentionally slammed the mopping monkey up against the wall. It also hit the side of the bucket and hurled it far out into the room, splashing the floor in a big soapy puddle. The King stared at the mess in fear. The door eased off the wall, revealing the mopping monkey, dazed and flattened against the stone.

"You IMBECILES!" the rough, hateful voice of the Wicked Witch of the West screamed out. "You could have killed me! YOU KNOW WHAT WATER DOES TO ME!"

The Witch stomped her foot on the floor. She was dressed all in black, from the tips of her laced boots to the tip of her pointy hat. Her skin was all green and covered in warts, and she had a crooked nose and chin, as well as twisted fingers and sharp fingernails. She stared at the King and the mopping monkey with fearsome yellow eyes.

"We're sorry, your Wickedness!" the King said nervously. "We'll get it cleaned right up!"

The mopping monkey reformed and removed himself from the wall. As quick as a flash, he picked up the bucket, then got a towel to clean up the spill. The Witch glared angrily at him the whole time, while he sported an awkward grin.

"See?" the King said, grinning himself. "You won't be melting today."

"Hmph," the Witch huffed. The room was filled with all the materials she needed to practice her spells, including a large green crystal ball right in the middle. "I assume you have a report for me today," the Witch said. "Well, speak up! I haven't got all day!"

The King stepped forward. "Well, it went like this," he started. "So there we were, in the Land of the Munchkins, just minding our own business. Then, all of a sudden! We heard something going on in the main town plaza. We went to check, and there was a mighty celebration going on! It was like a dreadfully cute party!"

The Witch sat on her red velvet couch, looking rather bored.

"Of course," the King continued, "We wanted to see what was going on. But we had to hide ourselves, and then -"

"Get to the point!" the Witch snapped. "What did you find out?"

"Well, you see," the King squeaked, "The Wicked Witch of the East...Well, she's..." He gulped, "Dead..."

"WHAT!?" the Witch shouted in rage, leaping up from the couch. "How could this happen? Who was responsible for this?!"

Before the King could answer, the Witch suddenly smiled, remembering something.

"But her ruby shoes!" she exclaimed. "Surely you remembered THOSE. Did you get them?"

"Well, you see," the King explained, "There was the Witch of the East, lying flat underneath a house. A HOUSE! There were her feet, and the ruby shoes right on them. And we woulda gotten them if it hadn't been for the Good Witch of the North, and those goody-two-shoes fluffballs, the Care Bears!"

"The CARE BEARS?!" the Witch exclaimed.

"Yeah!" the King said. "There was a whole ARMY of 'em! We tried to fight them off, but they were joined by a little girl and her dog, and the dog bit me on the tail, and it really hurt!"

The Witch picked the King up by the vest and pulled him up to meet him eye-to-eye.

"It really did!" the King said. "It's still sore right now!"

"You should be lucky that it didn't hurt any more than it did!" the Witch yelled in the King's face. She then dropped him and asked, "Where are they now?! And where are the shoes?"

"Well," the King said, rubbing his head, "It was the girl! The girl took the shoes, and she's wearing them right now!"

"Ohhh!" the Witch groaned, as she turned away from the King and to her crystal ball. "They won't be escaping my sight so easily!" She raised up her hands and cast lightning onto the ball. Within moments, a clear image of Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears walking along the yellow brick road came up inside it.

"They are heading west, toward the Emerald City!" she said. "They must be going to see the Wizard!" She swung back around, leaned down, and pointed at the King's nose. "YOU have to stop them at all costs! Do whatever you want with them, but I NEED THOSE SHOES!"

"R-Right away, ma'am!" the King stuttered. He flapped his wings, got back on his feet, and backed away from the Witch. "I'll get 'em, ma'am, I'm going, ma'am, I won't let you down, ma'am!" He then revved up his feet and zoomed out the door.

The Witch cackled and turned back to the crystal ball. "Don't think you can escape ME, my pretties! You may not know the true power of those shoes...But I do! And once I have them, then all of Oz WILL BE MINE!" She lifted her crooked fists into the air and let out a horrible shrieking laugh that could be heard throughout the entire castle. All of this was accompanied by a flash of lightning across the stormy sky...


	5. The Scarecrow

CHAPTER 4

Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears enjoyed the sunny, verdant countryside. They passed by various different Munchkin houses, as well as groves containing delicious looking fruits and rich farmlands. Toto stopped every so often to sniff his new surroundings, as dogs tend to do.

"Wow," Cheer said in awe, "Oz is so beautiful!"

"It sure is," Dorothy said, "Much different from Kansas."

"Hey!" Wish said. "Maybe THIS is the special place you've been dreaming of. Or maybe the Emerald City is!"

"Maybe," Dorothy sighed. "I'm not sure if it is or not."

"Well, we can know for sure later," Wish said with an encouraging smile, "After we see the Wizard."

"If the Wicked Witch of the West is after you," Bright Heart said, "Then I would agree with the Good Witch that you need to get out of Oz, if nothing else."

"And that's the truth," Lotsa Heart said with concern.

"Let's just focus on getting to the Emerald City first," Tenderheart said.

"OK," Dorothy said with a nod.

But, the Wicked Witch wasn't the only thing on Dorothy's mind. She also worried about her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. They must have been concerned terribly about her, and she hoped that she would be able to get back to them as soon as possible, even if it was on the way to her special place.

Eventually, the group began traveling along a large cornfield.

"Can we take a break sometime?" Grumpy griped. "My feet are getting sore."

"Mine too," Dorothy said. "I agree with Grumpy. I think we should stop for a while."

They decided to sit on the worn out, but still sturdy, fence on the side of the road, separating the bright yellow pavement from the cornfield. Standing in the field right behind them was a certain scarecrow. It was dressed in dark clothes, as well as gloves, boots with curved tips, and a crooked hat. Its face was painted on a stuffed burlap sack, and pieces of straw were sticking out from every opening on its form. It stood firmly on its post, its arms stretched out and its mouth in a slight smile.

A pair of crows flew up and landed on the scarecrow's arms. One of them looked quite uncomfortable, while the other looked rather smug by comparison.

"Are you sure it's safe?" the uncomfortable crow asked.

"Absolutely," the smug crow said. "Here, I'll show you." He lifted the hat off and showed its contents to his companion. "See? Nothing but straw." He then pinched and felt around the soft head. "See? No brains in there at all."

"Well, I'll be!" the other crow squawked in relief. "This guy is just for show after all!"

"Haha, yeah!" the smug crow laughed. "Who do these farmers think they are, setting up a brainless dummy like this to try and scare us? If they were really smart, they wouldn't stoop this low!" Both crows laughed as they left and helped themselves to the corn.

The squawking of the crows attracted the group's attention. Braveheart looked annoyed. "And who do they think THEY are?" he said.

Just then, Dorothy noticed something odd. A lone tear came out of the scarecrow's painted eye and rolled down its face. The expression hadn't changed one bit...But, that tear let Dorothy know that this was no ordinary scarecrow.

"Did you see that?" she asked.

"What is it, Dorothy?" Wish asked.

"That scarecrow," Dorothy said, jumping into the field. "I think he's sad." She walked up to it and examined it carefully. It still showed no other signs of movement. "But that's strange," she said. "Scarecrows don't have feelings."

Suddenly, a voice came from the scarecrow. "Well, thanks for your concern anyway," it said.

"Ah!" Dorothy shouted in surprise. She fell backwards, with the corn stalks cushioning her fall.

"Dorothy!" Tenderheart shouted. The Care Bears all rushed to help her up, with Toto following. "Are you OK?" Tenderheart asked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the Scarecrow said, its eyes and mouth moving. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Once back on her feet, Dorothy brushed the dirt off of her clothes. "It's OK, I'm fine," she said. "You just startled me, that's all."

"Ohh," the Scarecrow said sadly. "Perhaps I should have thought about that more. Not that I can think much anyway." The entire group shared the Scarecrow's sadness. "Anyway," he continued, "Would you mind helping me get down from here? I've been standing like this for so long. I can't even feel anything anymore."

"Of course!" Cheer said. "After all, you just need to move around a bit."

So, Dorothy stood on one side of the Scarecrow, while Lotsa Heart, Cheer, and Bright Heart stood on top of each other on the other side. Grumpy was in front of him, having been told to catch him when he came down. Dorothy and Bright Heart carefully undid the knots on the ropes binding the Scarecrow.

"There we are," Bright Heart said. "Only a little more..."

Once the knots got loose enough, the Scarecrow fell off of his stand, and right on top of Grumpy! Bright Heart and Cheer jumped off of Lotsa Heart, and everyone rushed over.

"Oh, my!" Dorothy cried. "Are you two OK?"

"Ohhh," Grumpy groaned, "Why is it always ME?"

"S-Sorry!" the Scarecrow said.

The group helped the Scarecrow get on his feet, for the very first time.

"There you go!" Cheer said. "You're free now!"

The Scarecrow moved his arms around and smiled. "Wow!" he said. "So this is what it's like to move freely!" He moved around his legs as well, and also jumped around like a regular jumping bean. He was so happy about his newfound freedom, he couldn't help himself.

When he tried to walk, however, he tripped and stumbled rather clumsily.

"Whoa, take it easy!" Braveheart said.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That walking would take much practice for those who do barely any of it."

"Oh, I know how to walk," the Scarecrow said as the group put him on his feet again. "I see folks on that road walk all the time. You just put one foot in front of the other..." He tried again, this time more cautiously. But, he tripped again, falling over the fence and onto the road. The group ran up to him once again. "At least I can't feel any pain," he chuckled, "Because I'm nothing but straw.

"But," he sighed, as he sat up on the pavement, "I'm so clumsy and stupid. You see, when the farmer first put me together, he didn't give me any brains. There's nothing in my head but straw. And the crows always make fun of me for not having any brains. What good is a scarecrow if he can't even scare crows?"

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "If you lack a brain, then it wouldn't be possible for you to talk or walk the way that you do."

"That's true," the Scarecrow said. "But," he scratched his head, "I haven't the slightest idea why that is."

"Well," Wish said, "What would you do with a brain if you had one?"

"What would I do?" the Scarecrow asked. "Umm..." He scratched his head again and thought as hard as all of the straw inside of it could. "I could solve the great mysteries of the world! I could solve many kinds of problems! I could think the greatest thoughts that were ever thought!" He sighed and slumped. "If only..."

Once again, the group felt much sadness for the Scarecrow. Then, Bright Heart perked up.

"I have an idea!" he said. "Why don't you accompany us?"

"Oh yeah!" Cheer said. "We're going to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz! He's going to take us Care Bears back home to Care-a-lot!"

"Yeah," Dorothy nodded, "And help me find my special place."

"I calculate," Bright Heart said with a smile, "That if the Wizard is able to transport us anywhere we need to go, then he is surely able to give you a brain."

The Scarecrow's painted face glowed. "You really think so?" he asked.

"We know so!" Lotsa Heart said. "And that's the truth!"

"Besides," Wish said, "If you come with us, then you'd still be better off than you were anyway."

"That's true," the Scarecrow said. "OK!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "I'll go with you! I gotta stretch my limbs and practice my walking skills besides."

Once more, he attempted a walk. He wobbled, and the rest of the group surrounded him, just in case he fell again. Several times, he almost toppled over, with the group bracing themselves to break his fall. But all of those times, the Scarecrow straightened himself out and continued walking, as if nothing happened.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That we should help you walk until you properly get used to it." Dorothy put herself under the Scarecrow's arm to hold him up and help him balance.

"Oh, thank you so much, Care Bears and Dorothy," the Scarecrow said. "With your help, I should be able to walk properly in no time!" However, even with Dorothy's help, he struggled to stay upright. But, that did not dampen his high spirits, not one single bit.

"Well, take it easy until then, OK?" Dorothy asked.

"I'll try," the Scarecrow said. "Now, off to the Emerald City we go!"


	6. Boq

CHAPTER 5

High up in the sky, Hugs and Tugs continued to ride the wind on their kite. They had gotten out of the cyclone in one piece. However, they were now adrift in the sea of clouds.

"I wonder where we are, Tugs?" Hugs asked.

"I dunno, Hugs," Tugs responded. "But we gotta be pretty high up."

"We gotta be pretty far away from Care-a-lot, too," Hugs said.

"Yeah," Tugs said sadly. "At this rate, we'll never get back in time for the party!"

The clouds slowly parted. Eventually, the two cubs could see the bright green countryside of Oz right below them.

"Wow, look at that!" Tugs shouted, pointing.

"It's beautiful!" Hugs said.

They also began floating down to the ground. They had no fear of falling, just as long as they continued hanging onto that kite. Lower and lower they went, passing over farmland and houses.

"Maybe there's someone down there who can help us," Hugs said. "Let's go to one of those houses!"

They worked together to steer the kite, not to mention fight the wind whenever it changed.

Soon enough, they were zeroed in on a large blue house...A little too well, at that, as the wind suddenly blew them right towards it!

"We're gonna crash!" Hugs cried.

Just as the kite was about to, indeed, crash into the house, Hugs and Tugs let go. Fortunately, their fall was broken by a hedge. They were unharmed, but they couldn't get out. Their short, furry legs stuck out from the hedge and wiggled. The thick leaves muffled their shouts for help, too.

Just then, a Munchkin in fancy yet practical blue clothing approached the house. He had on a fake looking smile, one that had some hints of sadness.

As he approached the hedge, he noticed the legs of the Care Bear Cubs wiggling and struggling.

"Hello, what's this?" he asked.

With both hands, he pulled Hugs and Tugs out.

"Well, I'll be!" he said surprisingly, his smile becoming genuine. "Where did you two come from?"

"From Care-a-lot," Hugs said.

"And who are you?" Tugs asked.

"My name is Boq," the Munchkin said, bowing gently. "And this is my house. Well, why don't you two come inside?"

"Yeah, why not?" Hugs said. "We're so tired from holding onto that kite for so long."

"Thanks, Mr. Boq," Tugs said.

The dignified Boq led the cubs into his house. It barely qualified as a mansion, but it was certainly one by Munchkin standards. Of course, that meant it was absolutely fantastic and fascinating to the cubs.

"Wow, look at this place!" Tugs said excitedly.

"Well, it's what Munchkin wealth can buy you," Boq said, "Even back when the Witch of the East still ruled over us."

Both Hugs and Tugs gulped in fear. "W-Witch?" they said at the same time.

"Oh, there's no need to fear now," Boq chuckled. "The Witch is no more. We are a free land now."

The cub wiped their brows in relief at the same time, too.

Boq showed them around his beautiful house. It had everything a good house needed, of course. But, the most noteworthy were the bedrooms, of which there was more than one.

"This is great, Mr. Boq!" Hugs said.

"So, do you live here all alone?" Tugs asked.

Boq sighed with great sadness. "Unfortunately, I do," he said. "It's only me. Sure, I do have my friends stay over every once in a while...But..."

"You don't even have a family?" Hugs asked.

"Not a wife and children, anyway," Boq said. "Oh, I want them so badly. But, I'm much too shy to find myself a good wife. What good is all of this money when it can't buy me confidence?"

The cubs felt bad for their new friend. But, it also activated their Care Bears instincts. They may have been only cubs, but those instincts shined as brightly inside them as they did in an adult Care Bear.

"Maybe we can help you," Tugs said.

"Yeah!" Hugs said. "That's what the older Care Bears do where we come from. That's our job!"

"Care Bears?" Boq asked in a curious tone. "So, that's what they call you." He then probed his memories. "Oh! I think I saw some of your kind just a little earlier."

"Really?" Tugs said. The cubs stared at each other in disbelief and surprise.

"Yes," Boq nodded. "There were four bears, just like you. As well as a raccoon, an elephant, and a lion. All of whom had strange symbols on their stomachs...Just like you."

"Well," Hugs said to Tugs, "We know that Bright Heart, Lotsa Heart, and Braveheart are here. Tenderheart's probably with them, too."

"And they were all heading towards the Emerald City," Boq said. He paused, and started thinking again. "The Emerald City," he repeated.

"Well, that sounds like a neat place," Tugs said. "I bet they even throw great parties there!"

"Yeah!" Hugs said. "Think we can go there, too, Mr. Boq?"

Boq paused once more before responding. "I'm sure we can," he said with a hopeful smile. "After all, the Wizard lives there. And, after everything that happened with the Wicked Witch, the girl, and the flying monkeys, I can only assume that the girl and the Care Bears were sent there by the Good Witch of the North."

Hugs and Tugs tried to comprehend what all Boq was saying.

Boq saw the confusion in their faces. "My point is," he continued, "I think we SHOULD go to the Emerald City. If we can catch up with your friends, then, when we see the Wizard, he'll be able to grant our wishes. He can send you both back to Care-a-lot...And, he can give me a chance to find a wife and start a family."

"Oh, boy!" Tugs said. "We're gonna see a wizard?"

"Yes, indeed," Boq said. "He's supposedly very powerful. It's said that there's a thing that he can't do!"

"Then let's go!" Tugs cheered. "We can ask him to take us back to Care-a-lot, and throw the best party it's ever seen! With lots of fancy decorations!"

"OK," Hugs said cautiously, "But we hafta be careful. We don't want Tenderheart and the others knowing we're here, too. Not until we get to the City."

"I'm sure we can do that," Boq said. "Well! If we're going to see the Wizard, we might as well get prepared."

And prepare, they did. They got themselves a good meal, then Boq dressed himself in his traveling clothes, which were more rugged than his other outfit, and able to handle a long journey much better. He brought along his hatchet and his handy travel pack as well. His pack was able to hold anything that was needed for such a journey.

"The yellow brick road may lead directly to the Emerald City," he said, "But it does have its share of dangers. However, I have sworn myself to protect you two along the way."

"Gee, thanks, Mr. Boq," Tugs said.

"You're very welcome, you two," Boq said, rubbing the cub's heads lovingly.

And indeed, they set out on their way. The yellow brick road was only a short walk away, and from there they just had to follow it, just like the elder Care Bears...


	7. The Tin Man

CHAPTER 6

Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears, along with their new friend, the Scarecrow, soon entered a forest. It was every bit as bright and inviting as the countryside, due to the relatively short trees and the relatively small quantity of them. By this time, the Scarecrow was finally walking on his own. He did so, however, in an awkward manner, as if he could still stumble or fall over at any moment. But, he felt confident regardless.

The group approached a small grove of apple trees. These trees were not unlike the ones they had seen up to that point, aside from the fact that they had what looked like abstract faces. Dorothy's stomach growled as she looked upon the delicious looking fruit.

"I'm so hungry," she said. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Then how about we get some apples?" Wish said.

"Yeah," Grumpy said, "I could use a snack myself. I dunno how people can stand that walk for so long!"

"Well, I sure am enjoying it!" the Scarecrow said merrily. "Then again, I really don't get tired. Not at all, as a matter of fact."

They all went up to one tree, and Dorothy reached up to grab one of those red apples. Suddenly, a branch smacked her on the hand.

"Ow!" Dorothy said.

The trees did, indeed, have faces! They opened their eyes and gave the group rather nasty glares.

"What do you think YOU'RE doing?" the tree right in front of them asked accusingly.

Dorothy stared in shock. She kept forgetting that she wasn't in Kansas anymore, and thus wasn't used to such things as talking trees.

"Don't you know it's rude to pick things off of us without asking?" a second tree said.

"Yeah!" a third tree said. "How would you like it if someone tried picking something off of YOU?"

"Believe me," the Scarecrow said, stepping up to the first tree, "I know the feeling!"

Braveheart and Grumpy stepped forward as well.

"Haven't you ever heard of sharing?" Braveheart asked in a confrontational way. "Folks gotta eat, you know!"

"Yeah," Grumpy said, crossing his arms, "No matter how much it annoys you."

Braveheart, Grumpy, and the Scarecrow all glared at the first tree. But the tree, and all of the other ones in the grove, returned an even nastier glare.

"OK then," the first tree said. "You want apples? Well, everyone," it called to the others, "Give them their apples!"

The trees all picked their own apples off and held them back, as if they were pitching baseballs. The group gasped in shock.

"I guess that wasn't a good idea after all," the Scarecrow uttered.

"Ready!" the first tree said, ready to hurl his own apple, "Aim!"

"Run!" Tenderheart shouted. Everyone turned tail and started off in the opposite direction.

"FIRE!" the tree shouted. At once, the trees tossed their fruits.

The group fled into the trees on the other side of the road. However, Braveheart, Grumpy, and the Scarecrow all got pelted. The Scarecrow stumbled and fell again. Fortunately, Braveheart and Grumpy managed to grab him and drag him along. They all tried to ignore the fruits whacking them.

Everyone else was not far ahead. Suddenly, Dorothy tripped and fell onto the grass. She heard the trees all laughing behind her. Toto ran up and licked her face with concern.

"Now, THAT was rude," she groaned.

As she attempted to push herself back up, she noticed something peculiar in front of her. It looked like a metallic shoe, covered in a layer of rust. She knocked on it, and it was like knocking on a tin can. Her eyes scrolled up past the shoe. There was a thin but sturdy leg attached to it, followed by what looked like a large, smooth can. Then, there were arms, hands, and a head topped with a funnel.

Dorothy got to her feet and realized that she had stumbled upon a certain man made entirely out of tin, complete with a metallic bowtie. And every square inch of it was covered in rust. It held an ax in its hands, and its pose replicated the action of chopping down a tree.

"Dorothy!" Cheer called, with her and the rest of the Care Bears, minus Grumpy and Braveheart, rushing up behind her. "Are you O-" They all stopped in place as they, too, saw the tin man, rusted and frozen in place.

"Oww," Grumpy groaned from not far away, "Those apples hurt!"

"At least I can't feel any pain," the Scarecrow remarked.

They, along with Braveheart, joined the rest of the group, and came across the tin man as well.

"I wonder," Bright Heart said, "Who would put a statue of that sort in the middle of a forest?"

"Especially if they knew nobody else would find it?" Grumpy asked.

Suddenly, the tin man's eyes moved in their direction. It groaned and tried to talk, but its mouth, represented by a riveted plate, was rusted shut.

"What's he saying?" the Scarecrow asked. "He's saying something!"

The Care Bears and Toto perked up their ears, and Dorothy and the Scarecrow leaned in closer. The Tin Man tried to talk again.

"Oil can?" Lotsa Heart asked.

"Oil can?" Dorothy asked. "Where would we find one?"

The Tin Man's eyes darted in the other direction, as he tried to get more words out.

"My cabin?" the Scarecrow asked.

The Tin Man tried to nod his head, but his poor neck was rusted as well.

"We'll have to get it from there, then," Tenderheart said.

Dorothy, Lotsa Heart, Tenderheart, Bright Heart, and Wish all went in the direction the Tin Man pointed them. Sure enough, they found a small cabin, which they assumed belonged to him. They went inside, and found his oil can right away. With that in hand, they returned to him.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That we should free his mouth first."

Dorothy did just that, applying oil all over the mouth. The rust disintegrated, and the Tin Man's mouth quickly dropped.

"Ah!" the Tin Man shouted. "At last! I can talk again! Thank you so much, friends."

"Think nothing of it!" Cheer said happily.

The group proceeded to apply oil to the rest of the Tin Man. With his neck rust-free, he could move it and his head freely once again.

"You have no idea how long I've been trapped here," he said. "You see, I was out cutting this tree, when all of a sudden, a rainstorm came in. I tried to escape and run back to my cabin, but it was too late. I rusted over completely in seconds."

"It's a good thing we found you, then!" Lotsa Heart said. "And that's the truth!"

They applied the oil to his arms and joints next. His ax fell to the ground with a heavy THUNK. Finally, the Care Bears took care of his legs and feet.

"Ahh, I can walk again!" the Tin Man said, taking several steps forward and bending all of his limbs. "If there was any way I could repay you for your kindness, I would."

"You don't have to repay us at all," Tenderheart said.

"Because we're the Care Bears," Wish said. "Helping people is what we do!"

"Well, me, her, and him aren't Care Bears," the Scarecrow said, pointing at himself, Dorothy, and Toto. "But we were glad to help anyway!"

The Tin Man smiled gratefully at everyone. But then, he, too, let out a sad, mournful sigh.

"What's wrong?" Lotsa Heart asked.

"I wish I could say that your kindness has touched me greatly," the Tin Man said. "But, I can't."

"Why not?" Dorothy asked.

"Because," the Tin Man said, "To be properly touched, and properly kind...Well, that would require a heart."

"You mean," Braveheart asked in shock, "You don't have one?"

"But that's impossible!" Tenderheart said. "Everyone has a heart!"

"Well, I don't," the Tin Man sighed. "Just knock on my chest and you'll see."

Dorothy did so, right on the small metal hatch where his heart would be. The result was a hollow bang.

"Empty," the Scarecrow remarked.

"Yes, it is," the Tin Man said. "When the tinsmith put together this body, he forgot to give me a heart. Now, I can't feel anything. Love, happiness, sadness, anger...I'm nothing but a hollow shell. That's why I live out here, all alone. People can give me love, but I cannot return it. What good is receiving love when you cannot give it back?"

The Tin Man looked sad, but he couldn't shed any tears. The group looked at him in greater sadness. But then, Wish perked up.

"I've got an idea!" she said. "Why don't you come with us, too?"

"Yeah!" Lotsa Heart said. "We're all going to see the Wizard. He's gonna send Dorothy to her special place, and he's gonna give the Scarecrow a brain. I'm sure he can give you a heart! And that's the truth!"

"Oh, that would be fantastic," the Tin Man said, brightening up. "I would so love to have a nice big heart, like the rest of you."

"Then let's go!" Cheer cheered. "Back off to the Emerald City!"

And so the Tin Man joined the group. He put his oil can away in his torso, and brought along his ax.

When they found their way back to the road, Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears helped themselves to any stray apples that the tree threw. They offered some to the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, but they politely refused.

"Thanks, but I can't eat," the Scarecrow said. "After all, my mouth is only painted."

"I have no need for food myself," the Tin Man said. "All I need is a steady supply of oil to keep me going."

As they were eating, a familiar voice came from among the trees.

"Well well, look what we have here," it said. "Looks like you made some new friends since we last met. Too bad they won't last long!"

Everyone turned their attention to the closest tree.

"The Monkey King!" Dorothy gasped.

"What are you doing here?" Braveheart asked as he and the rest of the Care Bears got into defensive stances. "Haven't you had enough last time?"

The Scarecrow and the Tin Man also got into their own stances, with the Tin Man brandishing his ax. Toto growled and barked.

"Well, I'm not here to fight this time," the Monkey King said, perching on a branch. "I know better than to go up against the likes of YOU unprepared!"

"Then what do you want?" Dorothy asked.

"I just wanna save you some time, pain...And a confrontation with the Witch of the West," the King said.

The Tin Man gasped slightly, but held his ground.

"All you have to do," the King continued, "Is give me the ruby shoes. Then, we flying monkeys won't bother you ever again. And the Witch will want nothing else to do with you. Unless, of course, you wanna see your friend over there," he continued, glancing at the Scarecrow, "Become horse food."

"Hey!" the Scarecrow shouted. "I wouldn't be very filling!"

"Or your friend over there," the King continued, looking to the Tin Man, "To be turned into a stove."

"A stove!?" the Tin Man exclaimed. "Why, I never...!"

"But," Dorothy said, "The Good Witch told me to never take these shoes off, no matter what! I can't give these up! Never!"

"Besides," Grumpy said, "I think you were bluffing when you talked about the Scarecrow and the Tin Man like that!"

The Monkey King responded only with his primate growl. He exchanged stares with the group, with them waiting for each other to do or say something else.

"Fine!" the King shouted. "Keep in mind that THAT was your last warning! We're gonna get those shoes, even if it takes a million years! Tread lightly, because every step might be your last!" He flapped his wings and flew straight up, out of the trees.

"Hmph!" the Scarecrow huffed. "Who does he think he is? Turn me into horse food, will you?" He pointed sharply at the branch the King had perched on.

"He's got some nerve," the Tin Man said. "Turn me into a stove. That's ludicrous!"

"But," Dorothy said with concern, "Neither of you are afraid of the Wicked Witch?"

"I'm not!" the Scarecrow said confidently. "I'm not scared of anything! That is," he gulped, "Except for a lighted match."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "That is a very logical thing for a scarecrow to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid, either," the Tin Man said, "Even if the Wicked Witch of the East put a curse on me and made me replace my old body with this one. That's why I don't have a heart."

"That's awful," Lotsa Heart lamented. "And that's the truth."

"Well, let's keep going," Cheer said. "The sooner we get to the Emerald City, the better!"

"Got that right!" the Scarecrow cheered. "And the sooner I can get my brain!"

"And my heart," the Tin Man added.

"And Dorothy's special place," Wish added.

"Don't forget a way for US to get back home," Grumpy said.

"Yeah," Dorothy nodded. "So, let's go."

And so, the group was on their way again, deeper into the forest...


	8. The Cowardly Lion

CHAPTER 7

Down the road they went, as well as deeper and deeper into the forest. They ended up in an especially dark and foreboding part of the forest, where the trees were so tall and thick that they blocked out much of the sun. Weeds grew out of the cracks in the road, and the forest floor was teeming with fungi and wild foliage. The group huddled as close to each other as possible.

"These woods sure are dark, aren't they?" Dorothy asked nervously.

"They sure are," Lotsa Heart said, shivering, "And that's the truth."

"We might come across some wild animals here," the Tin Man said.

"Wild animals?" Cheer asked. "Like what?"

"Maybe," the Scarecrow said, "Lions, and tigers, and bears..."

"Ahem," Grumpy and Braveheart both said at the same time.

"OK," the Scarecrow said guiltily, "Then, maybe just tigers."

"Don't worry, everyone," Braveheart said in his usual brave manner. "We just have to be brave. We have to take on anything that comes near us!"

Suddenly, the silence of the forest was broken by a loud and terrible roar. The entire group, except for Braveheart, of course, shivered fearfully.

"Wh-Wh-What was that?" Cheer asked shakily.

"I-I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That...That it was, i-indeed...A wild animal."

Braveheart scanned the landscape carefully, keeping a close ear and eye out for whatever made that roar. Toto did the same, growling lowly.

Another roar sounded. And then, a certain large and powerful-looking lion, with a short but scraggly mane, leaped onto the road. The group, except for Braveheart, gasped at the sight of this beast.

The lion roared again. Almost everyone got so scared that they tried to take off in different directions. However, the Scarecrow stumbled and fell again, as did the Tin Man. Bright Heart and Lotsa Heart, respectively, went to try and help them. Dorothy took Toto and hid behind a nearby tree, as did the other Care Bears.

Braveheart was the only one who didn't flee. On the road, he stared defiantly at the lion. The lion gave him a confused look, most likely surprised that Braveheart stayed right where he was.

"You're not the only one who can roar!" Braveheart said. He then let out his own roar. It was nowhere near as loud or terrifying as the lion's, but it certainly would have made lesser creatures run in fear just as well.

The lion looked taken aback, but he quickly retaliated with another roar of his own. And Braveheart returned his roar. The two lions went back and forth, trying to outdo each other.

Eventually, Toto's barking interrupted the roaring duel. He bravely walked toward the lion.

"Toto!" Dorothy whispered. "Toto, no!"

Toto succeeded in getting the lion's attention. The lion leaped off the road and right up to the dog. Toto continued barking at the lion, who was many times his size. The lion growled threateningly, and lifted up his paw.

"No!" Dorothy shouted. "Stop!" She bounded out of her hiding place and up to the lion, and smacked his paw as hard as she could.

"OW!" the Lion shouted in pain. He quickly retracted his paw and held it in his other paw. Dorothy scooped Toto back up, and stared with surprise at the lion.

"What'd you do that for?" the Lion asked. "My paw...My poor paw..." He sniffled, and tears were starting to come down his face and mane. The rest of the group gathered behind Dorothy and stared at the Lion as well.

"Well," Dorothy scolded, "You were the one who was trying to get Toto!"

"B-But," the Lion sobbed, "I didn't mean to hurt him! I was only trying to scare him. That's all..."

"Well," Braveheart said, stepping up front, "You didn't do a very good job of it, did you?"

"N-No," the Lion said, wiping his eyes with the tip of his tail. "I guess I didn't..."

"My goodness," the Tin Man said, "What a fuss you're making!"

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Braveheart scolded. "Picking on folks smaller and weaker than you! You're nothing but a bully, and a coward!"

"You're right," the Lion said, blowing his nose with his tail, "I am a coward. I haven't got an ounce of courage in me. I'm too scared to confront anyone my own size, so I try to scare smaller and weaker folks, just to make myself look brave. But, who am I kidding? I'm nothing but a big coward. I'm even afraid of my own shadow. What good is a lion who's afraid of everything?"

At once, the group's attitudes on the Lion lightened up, most likely out of pity.

"Well, we're sorry too, Lion," Tenderheart said.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "Anyone can be afraid, no matter what their sizes may be."

"If you say so," the Lion sniffled.

"Hey," Wish said among the group, "Do you think the Wizard can help him, too?"

"I don't see why not," Tenderheart said.

Both Wish and Braveheart stepped up to the Cowardly Lion.

"Hey, why don't you come with us, too?" Wish asked.

"Yeah," Braveheart said, "We're going to the Emerald City, to see the Wizard of Oz. If he can give the Scarecrow a brain and the Tin Man a heart, I'm sure he can give you some courage."

The Lion stared down at the Care Bears with much curiosity. "Really?" he asked. "I...I can go with you...To get some courage?"

"Of course you can," Wish said happily. "If that's what you really want."

"You won't be embarrassed," the Lion said, "By having a cowardly lion with you?"

"Not any more than we'd be," Dorothy said with a smile, "By having a scarecrow or a tin man with us."

The Lion stared at the entire group, touched by their support. "I dunno," he said. "It might be too dangerous."

"But," Braveheart said, "It would be worth it to get the courage you need."

"And besides," Grumpy said, "You got all of us."

"Yeah!" Cheer said. "We'll help you out every step of the way! Along with Dorothy, and the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man, too!"

The Lion sniffled one more time. Then, he dropped his paws and his tail, and jumped onto his hind legs. "You're right!" he said. "With all of you, I'll be able to get my courage in no time!"

"And my heart," the Tin Man said.

"And my brain!" the Scarecrow cheered.

"And my special place," Dorothy said.

"I just need you all to do one thing for me," the Lion said.

"What's that?" Wish asked.

"Stay close to me," the Lion gulped.

So, the Cowardly Lion joined Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Care Bears. He put himself right in the middle of the group, so that everyone else was on all sides of him.

"Also," the Lion said to Dorothy, "I'm...I'm sorry...About your dog. I'll never do it again..."

"It's OK," Dorothy said. "You know, you're really not so bad after all."

"You just needed a good talking to," the Scarecrow remarked.

The Lion blushed and wrung his tail bashfully. "Aww, shucks," he said.

And so they continued on their way, through the dark forest, now with a sort-of-mighty beast to help them.


	9. The Dark Forest

CHAPTER 8

Meanwhile, Hugs, Tugs, and Boq entered the dark forest as well. The cubs huddled close to their Munchkin friend, listening to the sounds of crows and owls.

"It's so scary in here," Hugs said fearfully.

"Don't fear," Boq said with a smile. "I'm well prepared to handle the forest. I must admit, I've never been this far in. I have read much about it, though."

Suddenly, they all heard a low but echoing growling sound, and stopped in their tracks.

"Uh oh," Boq uttered. "Quick, hide!"

They all dove into a nearby bush. Once they were inside, they peeked out. Coming onto the road at that moment was a strange but ferocious looking creature with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger.

"What's that?" Tugs whispered.

"That's a Kalidah," Boq whispered back, "One of the fiercest predators in all of Oz. It may look slow, but it's really quite quick."

Hugs and Tugs both gulped, with their tiny hearts beating through their chests.

The Kalidah sniffed around, possibly looking for prey. The trio, however, stayed hidden as long as they could. Finally, it gave up and walked back into the trees. Once the trio was sure that it was gone, they stepped out.

"It's a good thing I brought this along," Boq said, swinging his hatchet. "You never know when you might need it."

They continued on their way, with Boq keeping a sharp eye and ear out for Kalidahs, and whatever else lied in wait in those woods.

Back up the road, Dorothy and the others came across a broken bridge over a dangerous-looking chasm.

"Well, that's just great!" Grumpy said annoyingly. "The bridge is out, and no one bothered to fix it!"

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That barely anyone is around to fix it at all."

"I wonder how we get across now?" the Scarecrow asked.

The Lion shook horribly. "Well, that's that, I guess," he said. "We might just have to turn back..." He attempted to do just that, but Braveheart grabbed his tail.

"No," Braveheart said, "We're gonna find a way to get across!"

"But how?" Dorothy asked.

"If there was a thick enough tree right here," the Tin Man said, "I could cut it down, and it could make a bridge."

The Scarecrow stared down the chasm. It was dark down there, and he couldn't see the bottom. Still, he thought hard.

"I dunno," the Scarecrow shrugged. "I think...We'll just have to jump."

"Jump?" Dorothy exclaimed. "How are we supposed to jump? It's too wide!"

"Perhaps you have a better idea?" Bright Heart asked.

The Scarecrow hung his head dejectedly. "Wait," he said as he did, indeed, get another idea. He looked up at the Lion.

"What?" the Lion asked uneasily. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The Scarecrow perked up. "It may be too wide for the rest of us," he said, "But not for the Lion!"

"Huh?" the Lion exclaimed in shock.

"That's it!" Cheer said. "We can ride the Lion, and he can get us all across!"

"Wait!" the Lion said. "All of you? On me?"

"I wouldn't say so," Bright Heart said. "I calculate that we should be able to take turns riding you."

"That's right!" the Tin Man said. "It shouldn't have to take a single trip."

The Lion gave terribly nervous looks at everyone.

"Hey, if it'll make it easier for you," the Scarecrow said, "You can just toss me and the Tin Man to the other side. We won't feel anything."

The entire group gave the Lion encouraging looks, especially Braveheart.

"OK," the Lion gulped again. "I can try. Let's start with you two."

Using his immense strength, the Lion threw the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, one at a time, across the chasm. They both landed safely, and in one piece.

"Heh, that was easy," the Lion chuckled.

"Hey!" the Scarecrow shouted. "I just got another idea! Why don't you toss the Care Bears over, too?"

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That it is a very viable option, Scarecrow."

The Lion glanced at the Scarecrow, then back at the Care Bears.

"We would be OK with that," Wish said.

"As long as we land the right way," Grumpy said.

The Lion nodded. Then, one by one, he held the Care Bears on his paws and catapulted them across the chasm. Each one landed safely on their feet...That is, except for Grumpy. When the Lion prepared to catapult Grumpy, his nervousness took over again, and he threw him before he was ready. Grumpy flew high in the air. He did land on the other side...Albeit on his head.

"Oops!" the Lion gasped. "Sorry about that!"

"Oh, dear!" the Tin Man said. "Are you OK? You didn't break anything, did you?"

"Just my dignity," Grumpy said, getting up and rubbing his head.

Soon, the only ones that hadn't made it across were the Lion, Dorothy, Toto, and Braveheart.

"You're the last one left, Braveheart," Dorothy said. "Why haven't you gone across?"

"Well, Dorothy," Braveheart said, "You will have to ride the Lion across anyway. I figured I should join you."

"Right," Dorothy sighed. "I guess I can't be tossed across, huh?"

"Right," Braveheart said. "But it's OK! You both have to be brave, and have confidence in yourselves! That's all there is to it. If you can't be brave, at least you can have confidence."

The Lion pondered Braveheart's words. "You're right," he said with a nod. "I know I can make this jump. I just have to be...Not...Afraid..."

"Now you're talking!" Braveheart cheered.

The Lion lied down and allowed Dorothy and Braveheart to climb on top of him, with Dorothy holding Toto. Dorothy and Braveheart both held onto the Lion's mane.

"OK!" Braveheart said. "We're ready when you are!"

"You can do it, Lion!" the Tin Man cheered, along with the other Care Bears and the Scarecrow.

"All right," the Lion uttered. He took several deep, long breaths, then backed up and lined himself up.

The Lion wasn't the only one anxious and afraid regarding this jump. Dorothy looked on nervously as well. But, she still had her own confidence in him.

After another deep breath, the Lion said, "Wish me luck." He then galloped down the road, towards the chasm. And just when he was approaching the edge, he closed his eyes and made a mighty leap. Dorothy and Braveheart both held on as tightly as they could.

The rest of the group cleared the way as the Lion made a safe landing. They cheered at him.

"Way to go!" Cheer said. "You did it!"

"And that's the truth!" Lotsa Heart said.

As Dorothy, Toto, and Braveheart slipped off of him, the Lion blushed. "Well, at least I didn't have to make more than one jump," he said. "And I can thank you for that, Scarecrow."

"Oh gosh," the Scarecrow said, some redness coming into his own burlap cheeks. "It was nothing, really."

"Well, you both did a great job," the Tin Man said.

"And that DEFINITELY is the truth," Lotsa Heart said.

Dorothy directed a happy smile towards all of her friends.

"Well," Tenderheart said, "We should get going again." And so they did.

A short time later, Hugs, Tugs, and Boq ended up at the same broken bridge. Hugs and Tugs both looked down the chasm. "That looks like a long way down, Hugs," Tugs said.

"It sure does, Tugs," Hugs said. "How are we ever going to get across?"

Boq studied their surroundings carefully. Obviously, they didn't have a powerful lion to help them, so they had to come up with a different plan. He focused his attention on the sturdy-looking tree on the other side.

"I know just what to do," he said confidently.

Hugs and Tugs watched as Boq rummaged through his travel pack.

"Aha!" he said, pulling off a long rope. "Yes, this'll do just fine."

Boq turned the rope into a lasso, being sure to tie a loop at the end beforehand. He twirled it around, taking careful aim at the tree. When he was ready, he threw it forward, onto a thick branch. He pulled hard on the rope, testing the branch's durability.

"There, that should do it," he said. "Now, you two hold onto me, and we'll swing across."

The cubs did as they were told, wrapping their arms around Boq. They were sure to use any loose areas of his clothing as handholds.

"OK, on the count of three," Boq said, gripping tightly on the rope. "One...Two..."

The cubs gulped, hoping that their friend could pull it off.

"Three!"

Boq made his own mighty leap forward and across. They, too, made a fine landing on the other side.

"Wow!" Tugs said. "That was amazing, Mr. Boq!"

"Thanks," Boq said, detaching the rope from the branch. "I do fancy myself a rugged traveler. Traveling through the land almost makes up for not having anyone to share it with. Now, come along, and let's continue." Once the rope was back in Boq's pack, they set off again.

Further up, the yellow brick road was looking more rugged and less well-maintained. Dorothy and the others crossed a series of intact bridges, some of which were just barely so. The Lion had to exert extra caution going across them, due to his weight. Even if he wasn't so big, he would have done it anyway, considering his cowardly nature. He relied on his tiptoe to get him through each and every bridge.

Soon, however, they came to another broken bridge. While the previous one looked like it had been broken in two by the weather, this one looked like it was torn apart by some creature.

"This one," the Lion said, "I don't think I can cross. It's too wide even for me."

Bright Heart examined the width of the chasm carefully. "I calculate that you may be correct," he said.

The Tin Man quickly spotted a tall, thick tree right nearby. "There," he said, pointing to it with his ax. "That should be just tall enough to get us across."

So he went right to work chopping at the tree. His ax was still rather rusty, so it took a little longer than anyone had anticipated. The Lion looked nervously back at the forest, wondering if something even more terrible than him was going to come out.

"Can we hurry up?" Grumpy asked, just as nervous as the Lion.

"Yeah, can we?" the Lion asked, wringing his tail again.

"This shouldn't take me much longer," the Tin Man said. "Just a little more."

Dorothy looked to the forest as well. She wasn't quite as nervous as Grumpy or the Lion were, but she was hoping that they would be able to get out of there before anything showed themselves.

Finally, the Tin Man got the whole tree loose. It fell forward, and the top of it landed roughly but cleanly on the other side.

"Very smart, Tin Man!" the Scarecrow said. "I kinda wish I came up with that."

"Then I might just have to give you credit for it," the Tin Man chuckled lightly.

The Care Bears went across first, being the smallest and the lightest ones in the group, other than Toto. The Tin Man and the Scarecrow stepped on next. The Scarecrow had some trouble balancing himself, and slipped off.

"Scarecrow!" Dorothy and the Care Bears shouted.

"Oh, no!" the Lion cried, as he ducked and covered his eyes.

Fortunately, the Scarecrow managed to grab onto the tree on his way down. He ended up hanging upside down.

The Lion peeked through his paws. "Is it over now?" he asked.

"I'm OK!" the Scarecrow shouted. "I'm OK!" He rotated himself on the top again, and stood back up.

"Here, Scarecrow," the Tin Man said, "Take my ax." And he handed it off to him.

"What do I do with this?" the Scarecrow asked.

"You balance with it," the Tin Man said.

"Balance?" the Scarecrow asked. He then held it out in front of him, like a balancing pole. "Like this?"

"Yeah, like that!" Dorothy called.

With the ax out, the Scarecrow was able to cross much more easily. Soon enough, he and the Tin Man both made it to the other side.

"OK, Toto," Dorothy said, setting Toto down on the tree, "Go to the others. And be careful!"

Toto ran right across the tree with seemingly no effort. He made it look quite easy!

"Now we have to go, Lion," Dorothy said.

The Lion shivered. The tree certainly looked sturdy enough to hold him, but he wasn't sure.

"If it makes you feel any better," Dorothy said, "I can walk behind you."

The Lion wrung his tail again. But, he nodded, trusting that Dorothy can help him.

Dorothy stepped aside and let the Lion get on first. She followed closely behind, holding onto his tail for support.

The Lion stared straight ahead, trying to ignore the chasm below. "Don't look down," he uttered to himself, "Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down..."

They were more than halfway across, when the Lion made that mistake.

"Augh!" he roared. "I looked down!"

He then took off, with Dorothy quickly moving her legs and grasping his tail for dear life.

"Hurry!" Wish shouted.

In no time at all, the Lion and Dorothy back leaped off the tree and landed back on solid ground. Behind them, the tree rolled only a little, but still held on.

"That was a close one!" Lotsa Heart said. "And that's the truth!"

"I would say that, next time," the Scarecrow said, "Try harder to NOT look down."

"Sorry," the Lion blushed.

"It's all right," the Tin Man said, "The important thing is that both you and Dorothy made it across perfectly fine."

"Thanks, Tin Man," Dorothy said, catching her breath.

After a brief rest to let the Lion and Dorothy calm their nerves, they were on their way again.

A short time later, Hugs, Tugs, and Boq approached the chasm, and the downed tree.

"Well, look at that!" Boq said proudly. "We have ourselves a makeshift bridge."

"Maybe Tenderheart and the others made it," Hugs remarked.

"Maybe," Boq chuckled. "Can they cut down trees?"

"I dunno," Tugs said. "I never seen them do that."

From the trees came a rather intense rustling and growling. Hugs, Tugs, and Boq froze in place as they looked to see what was there. Suddenly, another Kalidah emerged!

"An ambush!" Boq shouted. "Let's go!" All three of them took off as fast as they could towards the tree bridge.

The Kalidah jumped out and gave chase.

"Run! Hurry!" Boq yelled.

They jumped onto the tree and quickly, but carefully, started across. They all formed a small chain, with Hugs and Tugs holding onto Boq.

The Kalidah screeched to a halt at the edge and roared after them.

"Well!" Tugs said with relief. "I guess we lost him!"

Suddenly, the Kalidah gripped the tree and climbed up it after them.

"Or, maybe not!" Tugs exclaimed.

They shimmied on their way, trying not to slip off. Meanwhile, the Kalidah was hot behind them.

"He's gaining on us!" Hugs cried. "Do something, Mr. Boq!"

Boq reached into his pack and pulled out a loaf of bread. "This bread has been in my pack for a good long while," he said. "He can have it!" He threw the loaf at the Kalidah. It hit him hard in the head, for it was as hard as a rock. He roared in annoyance and pain, and slowed down.

"I never liked that kind of bread anyway!" Boq remarked.

The Kalidah rubbed its head, then continued the chase.

"He's coming after us again!" Hugs cried.

The tree rocked in place, and cracks could be heard and seen forming. A Kalidah was much bigger and heavier than any lion, and this one was weighing down on the trio's bridge.

"Oh, hurry, Mr. Boq!" Tugs said. "I dunno how much longer the tree can hold us!"

Despite the clear and present danger, the Kalidah continued its pursuit.

Finally, the trio reached the other side. But the Kalidah was not far behind at all. It swiped at them, just before they jumped off and onto the ground. At the same time, the tree finally gave way and broke apart. It fell down the chasm, taking the Kalidah along with it. The trio saw all of them disappear into the darkness below.

"I hope there's something down there to break his fall," Tugs remarked sadly.

"There's a river down there," Boq said. "I would imagine it to be as good as anything."

"I hope so," Hugs said.

"But, are you two OK?" Boq asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Hugs said. "Thank you, Mr. Boq."

"Well, it's the least I can do," Boq said warmly. "Now, the Emerald City shouldn't be too much further. And neither should your friends."

"Yeah," Tugs said. "Won't they be surprised to see us?"

"They sure will," Hugs said with concern.


	10. The Poppy Field

CHAPTER 9

From the outskirts of the forest, the Emerald City could be seen on the horizon, even if it was just as a speck of green glimmering in the sunlight. A large meadow of bright red poppies spread out from just outside the trees. This meadow even covered the yellow brick road.

Up above, the Monkey King and his small group, including Raspy and Clumsy, hovered carefully. Each monkey was carrying a sack.

"Those are good looking flowers, boss," Raspy said.

"They smell good, too," Clumsy said, trying to get closer.

"Don't sniff them, fleabrain!" the King shouted, pulling on Clumsy's tail. "The smell of poppies is intoxicating. Literally! Whiff them for too long, and you'll be out like a light!"

"So, what are we gonna do with 'em?" Clumsy asked.

"It's gotta have something to do with these bags we got here," Raspy said.

"Exactly!" the King said. "The Witch gave us all this poison powder. We sprinkle it all over the poppies, and when the girl and her oddball friends come by, they'll be down and out...Permanently!"

"And then we take the shoes, right?" Raspy said.

"Right you are," the King snickered. "Now, let's hurry up and get this powder on! They'll be here any minute!"

The entire group of monkeys flew all over the meadow, sprinkling the poison powder and snickering to each other. They all finished their dastardly task rather quickly.

"There!" the King laughed. "We'll see how those fluffballs handle THIS!"

The King led the group to the treetops in order to keep hidden.

A short time later, Dorothy and her friends arrived.

"Ahhh," the Scarecrow sighed with much satisfaction. "Sunlight!"

The Lion looked unsure. "Yeah, it's nice," he said, "But...I'm too used to being in the forest."

"At least we're out," Grumpy said.

"Hey!" Dorothy said, the gleaming light in the distance catching her eye. "What's that?"

"It must be the Emerald City!" Cheer said. "We're almost there!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" the Scarecrow shouted. "Let's go!" He stumbled down the road and into the poppies. The rest of the group followed closely behind.

Up in the trees, the monkeys snickered.

"Morons," Raspy said with satisfaction. "They know nothin' about how poppies work."

"Well, they'll know soon enough," the King said, watching the group go. "But, not for very long..."

The Scarecrow continued to lead the way, with the Tin Man catching up with him. Everyone else, however, faltered. The aroma of the poppies made them feel tired and lightheaded, and the poison made it even more effective than it usually would be.

The Scarecrow and the Tin Man stopped in the middle of the meadow, waiting for the others to catch up. "Well, come on!" the Tin Man beckoned merrily. "Let's get going!"

Dorothy, Toto, the Lion, and the Care Bears had all slowed to a walk. They eventually did catch up...But, they were yawning and holding their heads.

"Oh, my," Dorothy yawned. "I don't know why, but I feel so sleepy."

"Us too," Lotsa Heart said sleepily. "And that's...The truth..."

The Lion yawned more widely than the others. "Boy, I sure could use a nap right about now," he said.

"A nap?" the Scarecrow exclaimed. "Why would you wanna take a nap at a time like this? We're so close now!"

"Just," the Lion said, lying down, "A few minutes." And he fell right to sleep.

"What's going on?" Wish asked, hardly able to keep her eyes open.

"We're just as sleepy as Bedtime Bear," Tenderheart yawned.

"I...Calculate," Bright Heart said, "That...It may...Have...Something...To do...With..."

"Something to do with what?" the Scarecrow asked, getting concerned.

Before Bright Heart could finish his sentence, he fell to the ground and right to sleep. The other Care Bears did the same, without putting up a fight at all.

"Oh, no!" the Tin Man said. "Not all of you, too! Dorothy! Dorothy! Try to stay awake!"

Dorothy tried, but she fell to her knees. Next to her, Toto had already fallen fast asleep.

"It's the flowers!" the Scarecrow exclaimed. "They're making this happen! Dorothy! Dorothy, no!"

"I," Dorothy yawned, "I...Can't...Stay...Awake..." And she fell asleep as well.

Since the Scarecrow and the Tin Man never needed sleep, and couldn't really smell, they were the only ones unaffected by the poppies and the poison.

"Uh, boss?" Clumsy said as the monkeys watched. "Those two are still awake. Should we get 'em?"

"Not now," the King said.

"Shouldn't we worry about them saving the girl, the lion, and the Shmear Bears?" Raspy asked.

"Come on," the King said, "Do you really think they can get all of them outta there before the poison finishes its work? Especially that big, bulky lion?"

Just then, they heard someone else coming from the forest. They shushed themselves down and went back into hiding.

And who should come out but Hugs, Tugs, and Boq.

"We gotta be close by now," Tugs said.

"I'm sure we are," Boq said. "I can practically see it sparkle from here."

"Oh, great," the King whispered, "There's two more of them."

"I think they're only babies, boss," Clumsy said.

"Yeah," Raspy snickered, "And babies are helpless."

"Yeah, you're right," the King said as he pondered.

As Hugs, Tugs, and Boq arrived on the outskirts of the poppy field, Boq stopped their march.

"What's wrong, Mr. Boq?" Hugs asked.

"Poppies," Boq said uneasily. "Poppies everywhere."

"What's wrong with them?" Tugs asked. "They look like they'd make great party decorations."

Then, Boq spotted the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, trying to move their friends in the field.

"Looks like somebody already went down out there," Boq said with concern. He rummaged through his pack again, and then he pulled out some rags. "Here, put these to your face," he said, handing one rag each to Hugs and Tugs. "And be sure to keep them there."

The cubs really were not sure what was going on, but they did as Boq said. Boq put a rag to his own face, and then the three of them ran out into the field, towards the Scarecrow and the Tin Man.

"Don't breathe in their scents too much!" Boq said to the cubs.

They eventually caught up, but they were already starting to fade themselves. Hugs and Tugs looked at the Lion in alarm, but calmed down when they realized that he was fast asleep.

"Oh, thank goodness!" the Tin Man said as he saw Boq. "Please help us! Our friends -"

"I know," Boq said, "They breathed in the poppies too much."

Hugs and Tugs both gasped when they saw the adult Care Bears, sleeping on the ground.

"What's going on?" Hugs asked. "Why won't they wake up?" Then they both began yawning.

"Oh, no," Boq said. "We can't stay out here."

"Well, what do we do?" the Scarecrow asked in a state of panic. "What do we do? Come on, think! Think! Think..."

Suddenly, the mark on Dorothy's forehead revealed itself and glowed brightly.

"What's this?" Boq asked, looking at Dorothy curiously.

Just as suddenly, snow began to fall. Everyone who was still awake looked up in curiosity and awe as the snow came down and blanketed the flowers.

Meanwhile, the monkeys watched on in disbelief. "What?" the King said. "What's going on here?"

Then, the Care Bears all awoke.

"Ohhh," Braveheart yawned. "What happened?"

"Of course," Boq said. "The snow is blocking out the scent of the poppies." He and Hugs and Tugs took their rags off.

"Yeah!" the Scarecrow said. "I'd say so!"

Then, Toto woke up as well, and immediately went up to Dorothy's face, whining and licking it. It wasn't long, however, until Dorothy herself woke up.

"Oh, gosh," Dorothy yawned as she sat up and rubbed her head. "I don't know what happened. I fell asleep, and then...Then I felt like my life was beginning to drain out of me." She touched her forehead, which emitted an unusual but comforting warmth. "The Good Witch's mark," she uttered in awe.

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That it must have reacted to whatever was in these poppies, and brought all of this snow down to neutralize it."

"Whatever that means," the Scarecrow said in a confused way.

Nearby, the Lion yawned and woke up as well. "See?" he said. "Just a few minutes. I feel so much better now."

The entire combined group chuckled at the Lion. Then Lotsa Heart looked up at the Tin Man and gasped. "Oh, no! The Tin Man's rusted over again! And that's the truth!"

Indeed, the falling snow had rusted him in place.

"We'd better get him out of these poppies," Boq said. "And the rest of us as well, for that matter."

"Can you carry him, Lion?" the Scarecrow asked.

"I think I can," the Lion nodded.

Dorothy and the Scarecrow lifted the Tin Man and spread him out across the Lion's back. The entire group then made their way across the poppy field, now free of the poison powder.

The Monkey King gritted his teeth in anger. "I shoulda known!" he screeched. "I shoulda known the Good Witch of the North would put some kind of protective spell on her! What would the Wicked Witch say now?"

Back at the Wicked Witch's castle, the Witch stared in anger at the group in her crystal ball.

"Curse the Good Witch of the North!" she shrieked. She then zapped the crystal ball again, causing the image to blow up in smoke. "The girl obviously cannot be harmed as long as that mark is on her."

She then smiled in her own wicked way and rubbed her green hands together. "But, I can work around that," she said.

She zapped the crystal ball again, bringing up an image of the King.

"Monkey King!" she yelled.

The King jumped and flapped his wings, then looked back at the Witch. The other monkeys did the same. They all shook and shivered as their eyes looked upon her.

"Boss!" the King said. "Umm...We're sorry! We didn't know about the Good Witch's mark..."

"Never mind that!" the Witch said, pointing at the ball. "I've got another idea."

The King thought for a moment. "Would it have something to do with those cubs, by any chance?" he asked.

The Witch smiled again. "Yes, yes," she said. "I see you are thinking straight here. Yes! Do something with the cubs, and the Munchkin, too. Maybe we can...Convince the girl to give up the shoes."

"Right!" the King said, saluting. "Just leave it to us!"

The Witch deactivated the crystal ball once again. She then walked over to the window and looked out to the east.

"You'll give up those shoes soon enough, my pretty," she said. "Soon enough!" She cackled as lightning struck once again.


	11. The Emerald City

CHAPTER 10

The snow stopped right after the group left the poppy field and got some good distance away from it. It was a good thing, too, since that gave them a chance to get the rust off of the Tin Man again.

While Dorothy and the Scarecrow applied the oil, Tenderheart confronted Hugs and Tugs.

"Hugs and Tugs," he said, "What are you two doing here in Oz?"

The cubs lowered their heads with great guilt.

"Yeah," Braveheart said, "Aren't you two supposed to be back in Care-a-lot?"

"It's a long story," Hugs said.

"Yeah," Tugs said. "We thought there was a party, and we found this kite, but the wind came in and blew us away, and we ended up here..."

"And right to my house," Boq added. "I'm the one who took them this far."

"Well, thank you very much for that," Cheer said with a smile.

"We're sorry, everyone," Hugs said. "We didn't know better."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "All of you were going to the Emerald City as well, correct?"

"Yes, we were," Boq said. "I'm going to ask the Wizard for some confidence to find a good woman to marry."

"And we'll be happy to help you, too," Wish said.

"And that's the truth!" Lotsa Heart said.

"Of course," Grumpy said, "We gotta GET to the Emerald City first. It's not gonna just come to us."

"But we should be almost there," Cheer said. "Just a little further!"

The Lion sighed happily. "It'll be so good," he said, "To finally get some courage."

"And a brain!" the Scarecrow added.

"And a heart," the Tin Man said, his mouth free of rust.

"And," Dorothy sighed, "My special place."

"If there's anyone who can grants us all of our wishes," Boq said, "It's the Wizard."

Once the Tin Man was properly oiled up once again, and everyone else had a chance to rest, they continued on down the road. They were now in a lush green countryside, covered with fruit orchards and with occasional farms.

"Wow," Boq uttered, "This puts Munchkin Land to shame."

Eventually, the Emerald City itself came into view on the horizon. The group stopped and stared at its shimmering green skyscrapers with pure awe.

"It's so beautiful," Dorothy said.

"That sure looks like a place where a powerful wizard might live," Wish remarked.

"It's not much further at all now," the Tin Man said. "I can already feel my new heart beating in there."

They went back upon their way, greeting the local people along the way. They looked like the type of people that Dorothy was used to back in Kansas, except for their green clothing. Most of them wore dull green work clothing, but some of them wore brighter shades of fancier clothing. The group was sure that the brighter clothes were indicative of people from the Emerald City itself.

Finally, they arrived at the city gates. They looked like they were made out of pure carved emerald, and even though they were much smaller than the skyscrapers, they still towered over the group, both awing and intimidating them.

In front of them was a pair of large green doors, along with a rope and a sign.

"Please ring bell for entry," Dorothy read.

So Dorothy pulled the rope, causing the gleaming bell at the top of the gates to ring out in a beautiful tone that was loud enough for much of the surrounding land to hear. At once, a smaller door above the group opened. A small man with a full, twirly mustache, and wearing a bright green pointy hat and a bright green uniform, poked his head out. He looked sleepy and irritated.

"What?" he asked. "Who's there?"

"We're here, of course!" Cheer shouted.

The doorman shot his head down. "Oh! You're all kinda small and scrawny, aren't you? Except for you, that is," he said, looking to the Lion.

"Small and scrawny?" Grumpy said in an offended tone.

"Anyway," the doorman said, "I assume you all want to get into the Emerald City?"

"Yes, please," Dorothy said.

"Hmph!" the doorman harumphed. "Not just anybody can get into the Emerald City, you know. You all gotta have a darn good reason to wanna get in!"

"Please," Dorothy pleaded, "The Good Witch of the North sent us, to see the great and powerful Wizard of Oz."

"Is that so?" the doorman asked. "Well, not many people can get into the Emerald City. But even fewer get to see the Wizard himself! Prove that the Good Witch sent you."

"Oh!" Wish exclaimed. "You see, Dorothy is wearing the ruby shoes of the Wicked Witch of the East." She pointed down at the shoes.

The doorman widened his eyes in shock. "My goodness!" he shouted. "So, YOU'RE the ones who did away with the Wicked Witch of the East?"

"Yeah," Dorothy nodded. "Yes, we are."

The doorman stared at them blankly. They all waited for his next response. He then smiled widely and laughed in a delighted fashion. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? Come in, then!"

The doorman disappeared back behind the smaller door and closed it. Then, the larger doors opened up. The group stepped in, and found themselves in a grand green foyer.

"I wonder why everything is so green?" Hugs said out loud.

"Because this is the EMERALD City," Boq chuckled.

"Yes," Bright Heart concurred. "The word 'emerald' can be used to describe the color green in general."

"Well, it's a little too green for my tastes," Grumpy said.

There was a second set of doors on the other side, with guards on either side of them.

The doorman appeared next to them. "Come this way, come this way," he said. "We'll let the Wizard know of your arrival! In the meantime!...One of our other guards will escort you to his palace. Ehh..." He looked over the not-exactly-pristine conditions of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. "Maybe you'd all like to freshen up first?"

"That would be nice, thanks," Dorothy said. "We've been traveling for so long. We could use some rest and some cleaning up."

The Scarecrow pressed against his body at the old straw underneath, the Tin Man looked down at his worn-out body, and the Lion ran his paw through his scraggly mane.

"Great!" the doorman said. "Just go through the doors here and let the guard on the other side know."

"Thank you, sir," Tugs said gratefully.

"Yes, thank you," Hugs said.

Boq simply tipped his hat to the doorman, as well as the other guards.

When the second set of doors opened, the group found themselves in the Emerald City itself. Everything, from the streets and the buildings to the clothing and even the horses pulling the carriages, were many different shades of green, shining brightly in the sunlight. There were green street lamps, green trees, and even a green fountain shooting off green water. Aside from all of the green, the city was very reminiscent of a city at the turn of the 20th century.

"Wow," Cheer said, "It's even more beautiful on the inside!"

"And that's the truth," Lotsa Heart said.

Just then, a tall guard stepped aside to greet them. He was dressed in the same uniform as the other ones, but he had bright red hair and a strong build.

"Hello!" he greeted with a grin. "I hear you are here to see the Wizard?"

"Yes," Dorothy nodded. "We're Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Care Bears." She gestured to each one of them as she called them out.

"And Boq and the Care Bear Cubs," Boq said with a bow.

"Well, come this way," the guard beckoned. He then proceeded to lead them through the city streets, towards the palace.

As they traveled through, people on the streets acknowledged them in some way. Some greeted them heartily. Others stared at them oddly, which was understandable, considering how diverse the group was. At certain times, the Lion blushed embarrassingly.

The group even overheard some of the people talking about them.

"Did you hear? They were the ones who destroyed the Witch of the East."

"She even has the Witch's shoes!"

"Did the Good Witch of the North really send them here?"

"They're going to see the Wizard! Nobody has ever seen him in person!"

"Wow," the Scarecrow commented, "Word sure does travel fast."

Eventually, the soldier led them to the large, impressive looking green palace, up the front stairs and through the doors. The palace foyer was the most lavish and impressive room that they had seen so far. The green ceilings stretched as high as their eyes could see, and various emerald-colored furnishings and treasures adorned every corner.

"Right this way," the guard said, leading them to a room on the side. "The Wizard won't see you for a while. In the meantime, we can freshen and tidy you all up."

They ended up in a salon of sorts, with green-clad workers at the ready.

"Listen up!" the guard addressed the workers. "We have new guests. Be sure to pay attention to their needs, and freshen them up accordingly."

The group was separated by the salon workers. However, they were brought into their own special sections of the salon to fit their freshening needs.

The Scarecrow was put onto a table, and the workers proceeded to replace all of his old straw and replace it with fresh straw.

The Tin Man was brought onto a table of his own, and tinsmiths and polishers worked hard to repair all of his dents and polish him up.

The Lion had his fur and his mane groomed and trimmed, and his claws trimmed as well. He was hesitant about it at first, of course, but he found that he actually very much enjoyed the pampering.

The Care Bears and Toto had the workers focused on brushing their fur. The Care Bears even had their bellies polished.

"We don't really need this," Grumpy remarked in a satisfied way, "But boy, does it feel good."

Dorothy got her own salon chair, and had her face and hair washed, as well as her hair trimmed and restyled.

As for Boq, he had his hair washed and trimmed as well. The workers also presented him with a new outfit, a lovely turquoise green one. As soon as the workers finished cleaning him up, he excused himself to change.

When everyone was finished, they all got back together. "I think this fits me exceptionally well," Boq said. "They must have worked extensively with Munchkins before."

"And I feel as good as new!" the Scarecrow said, patting his chest. "I never realized how badly that straw needed replacing."

"I feel so clean now," the Tin Man said. "I don't remember the last time my body was in a condition this good." He proudly adjusted his new bow tie.

"I feel very well groomed, too," the Lion said, sporting a bow on his mane. "My mane doesn't feel quite as messy as before."

"Hey," Tenderheart said, "You look good, too, Dorothy."

Dorothy showed off her new, freely hanging hair style, while holding Toto with his new green collar. "I feel good, too," she said. "If only Aunt Em and Uncle Henry could see me now." She sighed longingly.

"Hey, don't be sad, Dorothy," Cheer said. "We'll be seeing the Wizard real soon, and then you'll be able to go to your special place."

"Or see your aunt and uncle again," Wish said. "Whichever one will make you the happiest."

Dorothy thought about her aunt and uncle at that moment, more than ever. She hoped she could at least let them know that she was OK...And that the Wizard would be able to let her do that.


	12. Oz the Great and Powerful

CHAPTER 11

The red-haired guard led Dorothy and the others through the palace foyer, and up to a large ornate door. Unlike the rest of what they saw in the city so far, this door was multi-colored, with mostly red and green, but some blues as well. Despite its colorful nature, it intimidated the group.

"Now then," the guard said, sitting them down in the comfy chairs on either side of the door, "You wait here until the Wizard is ready to see you."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said curiously, sitting alongside the Scarecrow, "Wouldn't he be ready right this minute?"

"Yeah!" Braveheart said, sitting on the couch next to the Lion. "He had all this time to prepare for us."

"I'm sorry," the guard said uneasily, "But the Wizard is very busy. He doesn't particularly care for visitors, either, much less ones seeking his help or advice."

"Well, I'm sure you've seen him, right?" Dorothy asked.

The guard shook his head remorsefully. "He hardly ever shows himself, to anyone," he said. "Not many people even know what he looks like."

"Then this will be a special experience for us," Cheer said.

"I'm sure it will be," the guard said, smiling. "I will be standing right inside this door." He opened the door and vanished inside, before closing it again. The group could do nothing but wait now.

"Gee," Lotsa Heart said, sitting next to the Tin Man, "I wonder what he's like?"

"Well, he's a wizard," the Scarecrow responded, "So he's gotta be quite old and wise. I mean, really old."

"And he'd BETTER be wise," Grumpy said, "Or else they wouldn't call him a wizard!"

"I bet he can do lots of great magic tricks!" Tugs said.

"Yeah!" Hugs said. "Maybe we can ask him to come back to Care-a-lot and help us with our party!"

"Well, we're certainly gonna have a great party when we get back to Care-a-lot," Wish said.

"I wouldn't ask the Wizard to go with you, though," the Tin Man said. "Not when he's needed here in Oz."

"I sure hope he's not too showy with his powers," the Lion said anxiously. "I can get startled real easily, you know."

"And I hope," Dorothy said, "That he is as good as the Good Witch says he is." Out of the entire group, except for perhaps the Lion, Dorothy looked the most scared about this impending visit.

"Oh, I'm sure he's very good, indeed," the Tin Man said with a nod.

"Yeah!" the Scarecrow said. "He's gotta be better than those Wicked Witches!"

"He has to be," the Lion said. "And he'll give us what we want. We're sure of it!"

Boq and the Care Bears nodded in agreement. Dorothy felt much better, her mood brightened by the supportive looks of everyone.

Finally, the door opened again, and the guard came back out. He looked quite shaken and nervous.

"All right," he said, "The Wizard is ready to see you now. I have to warn you, though...He's quite upset at the moment. So, try to be sensitive."

"Well, thank you very much," Boq said. "We'll certainly try."

The entire group got off of their seats and entered the door. Before them laid a long, high corridor. It was as green as the rest of the palace, but it didn't feel anywhere as bright. Black pillars rested along the corridor, and torches burned a eerie green flame. If the door didn't intimidate them, this corridor certainly did.

"Why is it so scary in here?" Hugs said shakily.

"I dunno, Hugs," Tenderheart said.

The Lion gulped loudly again, while shaking more terribly than everyone else. "Now I'm just hoping we can get this done and over with as quickly as possible," he said.

"Us too," Tugs said. Both him and Hugs huddled up against Boq.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Braveheart asked. "Let's go and see the Wizard." He certainly sounded the bravest out of all of them, but even he seemed a little uncertain.

They followed the scarlet carpet, all the way down the corridor. The walk seemed to take an eternity, even more so than when they waited for the Wizard.

They arrived at one last set of doors. Suddenly, a booming voice came from the other side.

"ENTER!" it said.

They all looked up at the doors with varying degrees of fear and uncertainty. Dorothy opened them, and they all stepped into the next room. Braveheart had to help the Lion along, as his fear was certainly getting the better of him.

They ended up inside what looked like a throne room. Ornate green pillars dotted the room, and most of it was shrouded in darkness. The only exception was the throne itself, as luxurious as they could imagine, and illuminated only by a large spotlight.

The group walked cautiously towards the throne, wondering where exactly the Wizard was.

"Well," the Lion said, wringing his tail once again, "Nothing to see here. Let's just go back home."

"We can't go back now, Lion," the Scarecrow said, as he and Braveheart pulled on the Lion's tail again. "We've already come this far."

Suddenly, pillars of fire burst up from either side of the throne. The Lion roared in fear and shielded himself. Hugs and Tugs buried their heads in Boq's green clothes. Everyone else watched as a massive green head materialized over the throne. They gasped and stared in fear and awe.

"I AM OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL!" the head said loudly. "TO WHOM AM I SPEAKING?"

Dorothy shakily stepped forward, along with Cheer, Wish, and Tenderheart.

"It is I," Dorothy said, "Dorothy, the small and meek."

"And Tenderheart Bear," Tenderheart said, "And Cheer Bear, and Wish Bear."

"Yes," Wish nodded, with her and Cheer holding onto each other. "We're here because -"

"I KNOW WHY YOU HAVE COME!" the Wizard interrupted. "STEP FORWARD, SCARECROW AND BRIGHT HEART RACCOON!"

Dorothy, Tenderheart, Cheer, and Wish stepped back. The Scarecrow stumbled forward, with Bright Heart helping him along.

"YOU, MAN OF STRAW!" the Wizard boomed. "YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO COME TO ME ASKING FOR A BRAIN! DO YOU NOT?"

The Scarecrow shook nervously, trying to keep his new straw from slipping out. "Y-Yes, sir," he said.

"If I may speak," Bright Heart said just as shakily as the Scarecrow, "He has the strong desire for a brain...So that nobody will make fun of him...For not having a brain."

"Y-Yeah!" the Scarecrow said with a nervous grin. "What he said."

"SAY NO MORE!" the Wizard said. The Scarecrow and Bright Heart immediately re-joined the others.

"COME FORWARD, TIN MAN AND LOTSA HEART ELEPHANT!" the Wizard ordered. The Tin Man and Lotsa Heart did as he asked. "ARTIFICIAL MAN! YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK ME FOR A HEART, DO YOU NOT?"

"Yes, I do," the Tin Man said, holding his ax down as not to show disrespect.

"If you'll excuse us, sir," Lotsa Heart said, "But, he just wants to have feelings. And...That's the truth."

"Yes," the Tin Man said. "I have not had real feelings in so long, and I do pine for them."

"ENOUGH!" the Wizard said. "YOU ARE DISMISSED!" The Tin Man and Lotsa Heart re-joined the others.

"Ohhh," the Lion uttered, "Not me next, not me next, not me next..."

"STEP FORWARD, LIONS!" the Wizard proclaimed. "BOTH OF YOU!"

The Lion shot right back up, clutching his tail tighter than ever.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Braveheart said, pushing the Lion from behind. "Let's go and meet him!"

Both the Lion and Braveheart went before the Wizard. The Lion could do nothing but stare at him, completely paralyzed with fear.

"SO-CALLED KING OF BEASTS!" the Wizard said. "YOU HAVE COME BEFORE ME TO ASK FOR COURAGE, HAVE YOU NOT?"

The Lion hesitated. "N-No, sir!" he said. "I-I mean, y-yessir!"

"He wants courage," Braveheart said, "So that he doesn't have to be fearful and embarrassed. He can't be the King of Beasts if he's not courageous!"

The Lion didn't say anything else, instead just nodding quickly.

"DISMISSED!" the Wizard said.

The Lion froze, then fainted. Braveheart and Dorothy dragged him back to the group.

"You call yourself wise?" Braveheart retorted. "Look at the Lion! You scared him almost to death! How could you do things like that?"

"SILENCE!" the Wizard said, flames shooting up again. "THE GREAT OZ CAN DO WHATEVER HE DESIRES!"

Both Braveheart and Dorothy gave ugly stares at the Wizard.

"DOROTHY OF KANSAS!" the Wizard said. "YOU WERE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESTROYING THE WICKED WITCH OF THE EAST, WERE YOU NOT?"

Dorothy stepped forward again, equal parts fearful and angry.

"Yes," she said. "I was! And then, the Good Witch told me and the Care Bears to see you..."

"AND YOU HAVE TO COME TO ASK ME TO SHOW YOU A SO-CALLED SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOU!" the Wizard said. "HAVE YOU NOT?"

"Well, that too," Dorothy said. "But...I'm worried about my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, too. I just want to let them know that -"

"I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU MUST DO!" the Wizard bellowed. "BRING ME THE BROOMSTICK OF THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST! THEN, AND ONLY THEN, WILL I GRANT YOUR REQUESTS!"

Dorothy and the others gasped.

"B-But," the Tin Man protested, "That means...We'd have to destroy her, too!"

"DO WHAT YOU MUST!" the Wizard said. "BUT THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ WILL NOT ANSWER UNTIL YOU HAVE THE BROOMSTICK! YOU ARE ALL DISMISSED!"

"What?" Dorothy exclaimed. "But we can't! We're not -"

Before anyone could say another word, the floating head of the Wizard disappeared in an explosion of smoke. Then, the throne room was empty once again.

Almost the entire group stared at the now-empty throne in shock. Meanwhile, the Lion recovered and sat back up.

"Ohhhh," he moaned. "What happened? Did I miss anything?"

"We'll tell you outside, Lion," Tenderheart said dejectedly.


	13. The Kidnapping

CHAPTER 12

Dorothy and her friends dragged their feet out of the corridor and back into the main palace. Everyone explained to the Lion what the Wizard had told them to do.

"W-Witch?" the Lion exclaimed. "We...We have to go after...A witch?"

"It seems to be the only way we can all get our wishes," Wish said sadly.

"And that's the truth," Lotsa Heart said just as sadly.

"And even worse," Dorothy said, "She wants these ruby shoes. Going after her would be like offering them right up to her."

"Oh, but Dorothy!" the Scarecrow said, perking up. "You have the Good Witch's mark! As long as you have it on you, the Wicked Witch can't hurt you!"

"That's right!" Cheer said. "You should be fine!"

"And you've got all of us to protect you, too!" Braveheart said. "We can do it, together!"

Dorothy smiled slightly at everyone. "Yeah, you're all right," she said. "We should be OK."

Boq smiled too. But, he also gave a worried look to Hugs and Tugs.

"But, do Hugs and Tugs have to go, too?" he asked. "I would prefer they don't."

"You're right, Boq," Tenderheart said. "Hugs and Tugs are way too little to go. It's too dangerous for them."

The Lion looked down at them, too. "Are you sure?" he said. "They could provide emotional support."

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "They could. However, Tenderheart is correct. It would be best if Hugs and Tugs stayed behind."

"Then," Boq said, "I will stay behind with them."

"Mr. Boq," Hugs said, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Tugs said. "What about you wanting the confidence to get a wife? And to start a family?"

"As long as we all present the Wizard with the broomstick," Boq said, "I'm sure he'll grant me my request, in addition to all of yours."

"I sure hope it'll work that way," the Scarecrow said, scratching his head.

"It has to," the Tin Man said. "Otherwise, you will have come all this way for nothing."

The red-haired guard appeared to them again. "Ohhhh," he said sadly, "It seems like the meeting didn't go over very well."

"It was OK," Dorothy said. "But now we have to go and get the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick."

"Oh, no," the guard said. "She lives quite far to the west. You all should get some rest first, before you head out. I'm sure the Wizard wouldn't mind all of you using his guest rooms for the evening."

"Thank you," Dorothy said gratefully.

The guard led the group up some stairs and to their guest rooms to spend the night. They were just as fancy, bright, and luxurious as the rest of the palace.

Before going their separate ways for the evening, the group had one more meeting. "OK," Tenderheart said, "Boq, you stay here tonight and tomorrow with Hugs and Tugs. The rest of us, we should leave first thing in the morning."

"I still don't understand," Grumpy said, "Why we need to get him a stupid broomstick. If we knew he wanted it, we could have done it sooner! The Good Witch could have told us!"

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That she must not have known at the time. She did, after all, say the Wizard was very mysterious."

"Well, I say," the Scarecrow said boldly, "That if it'll get us what we want, we should do it! A brain has to be worth this."

"And a heart," the Tin Man said.

"And courage," the Lion added.

"And," Dorothy said, "My special place."

"That's the spirit!" Cheer said. "Now, let's get some rest. We got a big day tomorrow!"

The group split up and headed to their own guest rooms. However, Hugs and Tugs continued to follow Boq, as all three of them were given one big room to share.

As they walked in, they marveled at it all. "That bed is just right for an entire Munchkin family," Boq said, quite impressed.

"I'll say," Tugs said happily.

Boq set his pack down on a nearby foot rest, while Hugs and Tugs bounced on the oversized bed. Boq watched the cubs with pride and love, as if they were his own children.

Soon enough, the cubs stopped bouncing. "Mr. Boq?" Hugs asked with a smile. "Can we ask you something?"

"Certainly, anything," Boq said warmly.

"Can you take us to see the Emerald City?" Tugs asked.

"Yeah!" Hugs said. "We want to take a tour around!"

"I'm sure we can," Boq said with a nod. "As long as it's all right with Tenderheart, of course."

The three of them left their room, with Boq's pack still in it. They went to the Care Bears' room, knocked on the door, and asked Tenderheart.

"We're OK with that," Tenderheart said. "Just be sure to be back before sunset."

"We will," Boq said.

Boq, Hugs and Tugs navigated through the grand palace, all the way back out the front door. The sunlight was already beginning to dim, and there weren't as many people in the streets.

"Now, whatever happens," Boq said, "You two stay close to me."

"We will, Mr. Boq!" Tugs said. "We will!"

They walked up and down the streets, marveling at the emerald aesthetics and peeking into the many different shops. They even went inside a candy shop and came out carrying bright green lollipops. Meanwhile, the lamp lighters were going all around, lighting the street lamps with green flames.

All the while, though, Boq got the uneasy feeling that they were being followed. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the feeling was there regardless. He didn't dare Hugs and Tugs out of his sight, even as he suspiciously examined their surroundings everywhere they went.

Finally, they walked down a street that was almost deserted. They all finished their lollipops, and Hugs and Tugs continued oogling at everything.

As Boq watched the cubs, something crawled in the dark alley behind him. Boq got that strange feeling again, yet he remained unaware of the shadowy figure. As the figure got closer, the feeling got stronger.

Finally, he spun around. He was expecting nothing there, as he did throughout the whole trip. However, this time, there WAS something there!

"Gotcha!" a familiar voice screeched as it sprang out and captured Boq. It was the Monkey King!

"Augh!" Boq shouted. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Hugs and Tugs spun around and gasped as they saw their Munchkin friend struggling against the King's grasp.

"Now don't struggle!" the King said. "You don't wanna make it harder than it already is."

"Run, Hugs and Tugs!" Boq shouted out. "Save yourselves!"

"Too late!" the voices of Raspy and Clumsy shouted in unison as they bungee jumped down with their tails and captured Hugs and Tugs.

"No!" Tugs shouted as he and Hugs struggled against the monkeys. "Let us go!"

"Help!" Hugs shouted. "Help!"

The three monkeys immediately took back to the skies, keeping a tight hold on their captives.

"Ohh, the boss sure is gonna be happy about this!" Clumsy laughed.

"Yeah!" Raspy laughed back. "This'll get the girl to us for sure!"

"And those filthy fluffballs, too!" the King said. "And when they do, we'll be ready!"

The monkeys laughed as they soared west, towards the setting sun.


	14. The Lands of the West

CHAPTER 13

"So," Chris said, "What happened next?"

"Chris?" Karen giggled. "I thought you weren't interested?" Her, her friends, and the Professor stared at Chris amusingly.

"That is very true, young man," the Professor chuckled. "Here, we all thought you didn't care to hear this story."

Chris blushed deeply. He wasn't quite ready to show that he was actually into the Professor's story. "I don't! I, uh...I just want it to be over with as fast as possible! Yeah. That's it." He crossed his arms frustratingly. "But," he whispered to himself, "It is getting good..."

"What was that?" Karen asked.

"Nothing!" Chris shouted, blushing even more. "You didn't hear anything!" He tried to be delicate with his commentary from that point on. "So, uh, Professor? Umm...What DID happen next?"

"Yeah!" Karen said, turning back to the Professor. "Did Dorothy and the Care Bears realize that Boq, Hugs and Tugs went missing? What about the monkeys?"

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves," the Professor said. He then continued his story...

Dorothy and the others went to bed and woke up the next morning, without checking to see if Boq, Hugs and Tugs had come back. They merely assumed that they had returned from their tour, and were all snug in their rooms, as they should have been.

As Tenderheart said, they left the Emerald City and headed west first thing in the morning. The first part of their journey took them through the verdant countryside surrounding the City. They entered a forest not unlike the one they went through the previous day, and continued without incident.

However, as they traveled deeper into the forest, signs of the Wicked Witch's looming presence began to show. The trees got darker and more twisted, looking like evil creatures that were going to lunge at the group at any moment. Much of the grass and other vegetation looked like it was either darkening or dying. Dry winds whipped through the air as thunder rumbled and lightning struck sideways overhead. It all instilled much fear and caution into the group. Even Braveheart was looking uneasy.

Eventually, they came across a large wooden sign.

"Wicked Witch's Castle ahead," the Lion read. "I'd turn back if I were you." He gulped louder than he ever had before. "Sounds like solid advice."

Braveheart was already holding on to the Lion's tail. "No way," he said. "We gotta go through with this. If we don't, the Wizard won't help us!"

"Well," Tenderheart gulped as well, "I'm just glad that Hugs and Tugs aren't here."

Of course, they did not know that Hugs and Tugs were, indeed, there...In the Witch's dungeon, along with Boq.

"It's so dark in here!" Hugs cried, sitting on a bench with Tugs and Boq.

"What are we gonna do, Mr. Boq?" Tugs asked sadly. "This is a terrible place for a party!"

Boq sighed, "Well, we can't do much of anything while we're in here. Our best chance may be to just wait until the others come and find us."

"But," Hugs said fearfully, "What's the Witch gonna do to us?"

"I don't know," Boq said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not good in the slightest. If only I had my pack with me...

"And...I'm sorry...That I failed you two earlier," he said.

"Mr. Boq," Hugs said, "It's not your fault."

"Yeah!" Tugs said. "It's the monkeys that got us! You didn't send them there or anything!"

"I know," Boq said. "But...I feel like I should have done more...To protect you two."

"There wasn't much you coulda done, Mr. Boq," Hugs said with a sad shrug.

Boq sighed with such bitter sadness. He directed his eyes to the dungeon door, as if searching for an opportunity...

Meanwhile, Dorothy and the others exited the forest and into the western countryside. It was barren and desolate, with dead trees and ruined houses all over, along with dangerous looking mountains and cliffs. The skies above were as dark and stormy as can be. But, they had no choice but to press forward.

Back at the castle, the Witch was looking at the group in her crystal ball again. "Just as planned," she cackled. "I knew that capturing the cubs and the Munchkin would bring the girl to me!"

"You sure did, boss," the King said, standing on the edge of her window. "And now comes the fun part..."

"Yes, indeed!" the Witch said, turning to the monkeys. "The army!"

"Oh yes," the King snickered. "Those pathetic fluffballs may have been able to take down a small group of us...But, let's see them handle AN ENTIRE ARMY OF US!" At once, the whole flying monkey army swooped down, almost blocking out the scenery.

"Yes, yes, yes!" the Witch laughed. "Now, you all listen to me! You bring the girl and the Care Bears to me! Do what you want with the others, but I want her here, and unharmed! Those ruby shoes can't elude me forever!"

"Leave it to us, boss!" the King saluted. He jumped out of the window and flapped to the front of the army. "All right! Do you all have the magic nets ready?"

Some of the monkeys, including Raspy and Clumsy, pulled out some big nets, glowing with dark green magic.

"Good! That'll take care of those do-gooder fluffballs," the King said. "All right! Flying monkey army, move out!" The army soared through the skies and over the rough, spiked mountains, towards Dorothy and the others.

Back in the wasteland, the entire group caught the sight of the Witch's massive, imposing castle, situated in the middle of the mountains.

"That must be it," the Tin Man said, pointing. "The castle of the Wicked Witch."

"How are we going to get up there?" Dorothy asked. "Those mountains look really dangerous."

"Well, you know what they say," Wish said with a smile, "Where there's a will, there's a way!"

"And that's the truth," Lotsa Heart said.

"Yeah!" the Scarecrow cheered. "I'm sure there's a path through the mountains to get up there. Now, we just have to find it..."

Before long, they all saw the flying monkey army, heading right towards them.

The Lion gasped and fell backwards. "Wh-Wh-What are those?" he asked, pointing.

"The flying monkeys!" Tenderheart exclaimed. "A whole army of them! Get ready, everyone!" All of the Care Bears formed a line and got into their fighting stances. Everyone else gathered up behind them. The Scarecrow put his fists up, the Tin Man raised his ax, and the Lion mimicked the Scarecrow, trying to put on the bravest face he could. Dorothy just stood back, holding Toto. She knew that the monkeys wouldn't be able to harm her, so she wasn't too afraid.

"Haha!" the King laughed. "We got 'em right where we want 'em! Now, you all know what to do. Surround them!"

As they approached the group, the army spread out and surrounded them on all sides in the air.

"Now," the King said, "ATTACK!"

The monkeys began their assault, attempting to dive bomb the group. The Care Bears all blasted out their powerful combined Stare at the oncoming monkeys and blew them away. However, another group of monkeys took their place, and descended from all sides.

"Come on!" the Tin Man taunted. "We're not afraid!"

The monkeys' all-sides strategy caused the group to scatter. The Care Bears all used their individual stares to blast away some of the monkeys.

The Lion stood in place and wore his brave face. "I'm not afraid!" he told himself. "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid! I'm not AFRAID!" On that last word, he let out his loudest, fiercest roar. It managed to stop an incoming group of monkeys in midair. The Lion smiled at them in a cocky way.

But then, the monkeys grinned, and flew towards him again. The Lion gasped, then turned and ran. "I AM afraid! I AM afraid!" he shouted, running as fast as he could away from the monkeys. They tried to grab his tail and his mane, but he shook them off. Unfortunately, that brief moment of chaos made him forget to look where he was going. He went right off a cliff, and slid down the rocks to a ravine at the bottom. He landed hard and got knocked cold.

Meanwhile, the Tin Man waved his ax threateningly at the monkeys. "Come on!" he shouted again. "I've got this ax, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Good thing ya won't have to, then!" Raspy said, coming up from behind and slipping the ax out of his hands.

The Tin Man looked back in shock. Then, another band of monkeys picked him up and carried him.

"Let me down!" he shouted. "Let! Me! Down!"

"If you insist!" Raspy said.

The monkeys then dropped the Tin Man, into the same ravine that the Lion fell in.

"And take your stupid ax with you!" Raspy shouted, throwing it down.

Dorothy looked around in panic, seeing the Care Bears fighting the monkeys as best as they could. She also spotted the Scarecrow swinging and swatting at the monkeys.

"Gah!" he shouted. "You're even worse than the crows!"

"And wily-er, too!" Clumsy shouted.

Clumsy and the other monkeys grabbed the Scarecrow, from his legs and his torso.

"Derr, on three!" Clumsy said. "One! Two! Uh...Two and half? No...Three!"

They then tore the poor Scarecrow right in half.

"Scarecrow!" Dorothy shouted. "No!"

"No fair!" the Scarecrow cried. "That was fresh straw!"

The monkeys lifted up both halves of him. They tossed his legs onto the branches of a dead tree, and his torso into that same ravine.

Dorothy stared helplessly at her friend being taken away. She looked around desperately for the Tin Man and the Lion, but saw no sign of them.

Meanwhile, the Care Bears were wearing down. "How are we going to handle all these monkeys?" Tenderheart cried. "There's too many of them!"

"Ha! You won't be handling us!" the King taunted. "We'll be handling YOU!" The monkeys came in with their magic nets. "Drop the nets!"

And they did just that. One by one, each net captured one of the Care Bears. The green magic around them glowed brightly as they tried to use their Stares again.

"Oh, no!" Cheer cried. "My Stare isn't working anymore!"

"Neither is mine!" Grumpy said.

"None of our Stares are working!" Wish shouted.

"And that's just the way we want it!" the King screeched in delight. "Now, take them away!"

The monkeys flew in and scooped up the nets containing the Care Bears. Dorothy saw them and tried to run after them. But, she got picked up as well, by Raspy and Clumsy.

"And I'll be taking this one myself!" the King said, snatching up Toto. "Bite on my tail, will ya? Well, who's laughing now?" Toto simply barked and growled at the King, but did nothing else.

Dorothy screamed for help. But, it was all in vain, as the monkeys carried her and all of the Care Bears, back over the mountains...And all the way back to the Witch's room.

"What'd I say?" the King boasted as they ferried everyone through the window. "No match for an army!"

Dorothy and the Care Bears gasped as the Witch came towards them. Behind her was the mopping monkey again, just trying to get his thankless job done.

"Excellent, Monkey King!" the Witch said.

The King landed on the floor, still carrying Toto. Raspy and Clumsy set Dorothy down on her feet, in front of the Witch, while the other monkeys dumped the Care Bears, still in their nets.

"It looks like my special magic nets worked just right!" the Witch laughed. "No magic will come out of them while they're ensnared!"

She then turned her attention down to her anticipated prize: The ruby shoes. "Ah ha! They are well within my reach!" She made eye contact with Dorothy, trying helplessly to break free from Raspy and Clumsy's tight grips. "All I need now, my pretty," she said, "Is for you to give them to me."

"No!" Dorothy shouted. "Never!"

The Witch snarled. "I knew you wouldn't give them up to me that easily!"

"And you can't hurt her, either!" Braveheart shouted. "She still has the Good Witch's mark! You can't even touch her!"

"You're right," the Witch responded. "I can't harm HER. But all of YOU..." She lifted her hand up, and out of it came a bolt of magic. It hit Braveheart, filling the inside of his net with sinister light. Dorothy and the other Care Bears watched in helpless terror.

"Braveheart!" Dorothy cried.

When the light went out, the net had been destroyed. However, Braveheart had been transformed into a melancholy-looking puppet, complete with strings.

"Ha ha!" the King laughed. He handed Toto off to one of his comrades and flew over to the puppetized Braveheart. He grabbed the handles and lifted him up. "Not so tough now, are ya?" He manipulated the handles and strings, causing Braveheart to move and dance in a jerky fashion. "Look at me! I'm nothing more than a puppet now! Boo hoo hoo! Woe is me!"

"No!" Dorothy cried.

"Haha!" the Witch said. "Magic can't come OUT of the nets...But it can come IN! Now you see, my pretty. The longer you put off giving me those shoes, the more of your friends will be turned into puppets! And that one will do just fine for my personal collection!"

Toto whined and struggled in the other monkey's hands. Suddenly, he bit the monkey's finger, causing the monkey to yowl in pain and dropped him.

"What?" the Witch exclaimed, shooting her head down.

"Toto!" Dorothy gasped.

Toto ran right through the Witch's dress, knocked over the mopping monkey's bucket, and ran out of the room.

"Run, Toto!" Dorothy shouted. "Save yourself!"

Toto ran down through the castle, to the drawbridge, and out into the mountains. Nobody was sure where he was going, though.

The Witch jumped back, avoiding the spilled water. "Mop this up, RIGHT AWAY!" she shouted at the mopping monkey. "You know what it does to me!" He flew over and followed her orders. She growled and snarled at Dorothy. "Well, we don't need your little dog! We'll do fine with just the Care Bears here!"

"Heh, yeah!" the King said. "After all, what's a dinky little dog like him gonna do when he's got nothing to bite?"

"Monkeys!" the Witch ordered. "Take them to the dungeon!" The monkeys took up the Care Bears again, but then the Witch cut in. "But leave the elephant and the raccoon with ME. We'll see just how long the girl can last before giving in!"

Both Lotsa Heart and Bright Heart gave depressed, defeated looks at the Witch, as the monkeys dragged everyone else away. The Witch cackled once again, as lightning once again accompanied her.

Down in the dungeon, the group was dragged to their cell.

"Oh," the King said, still playing with the Braveheart puppet, "And we have one last little surprise for you..."

The group was thrown in. When she looked up, Dorothy gave a prompt gasp. "Boq! Hugs and Tugs!"

The trio glanced over at the group, frighteningly and sadly.

The King threw Braveheart in as well. "Oh, yes!" he said. "You have a good long time to decide if you wanna keep those shoes or not! And if you do wanna keep them...Well, whatever happens will be on YOU!" He laughed as he shut the door and locked it.


	15. The Rescue

CHAPTER 14

Back in the wasteland, the Tin Man and the Lion started stirring again.

"Oogh," the Lion groaned, rubbing his head. "That was way more excitement than I could ever bargain for..."

"Indeed," the Tin Man said, shakily getting up again. His entire body was battered and dent from the hopeless battle.

"Ohh," the Lion said, "You don't look too good."

"It's fine," the Tin Man said. "I've been in much worse condition."

"Hey!" the Scarecrow's voice called from nearby. "Can I get some help here?"

The Tin Man and the Lion rushed to the Scarecrow's side. They found him, only as a torso.

"Oh dear!" the Tin Man exclaimed. "Scarecrow! What did they do to you?"

"They tore me in half!" the Scarecrow said. "They threw my torso down here, and my legs into a tree, all the way up there!" He pointed up the rocky ravine.

"And," the Lion said shakily, "You want us to go up and get it...Right?"

"Well, we have no choice," the Tin Man said. "We have to help the Scarecrow anyway." He took up his ax, which was right next to the Scarecrow, and used the pointed end of it to start climbing up.

The Lion stared in disbelief, then sighed heavily. "The things we do for friends," he said submissively. He joined the Tin Man, using his claws to climb.

In the dungeon, Dorothy and the others sat in total despair.

"Poor Braveheart," Dorothy sighed as she stared at his puppet self. "The Monkey King's right. It's my fault. This is all my fault."

"Dorothy," Boq said gently. "The Wicked Witch is the one who did this to him. None of this is your fault."

"Yes, it is!" Dorothy cried. "And if I don't give the Witch what she wants, she'll turn you all..." She gulped in fear and dread. "Into puppets!"

Almost all of the Care Bears sighed sadly. But Grumpy simply crossed his arms and said, "Well, if you ask me, I think the Witch was bluffing!"

Just then, the door swung open again. A monkey tossed in Lotsa Heart and Bright Heart, turned into puppets themselves.

Grumpy stared at them in shock and horror. "Or...M-Maybe...N-Not!" The monkey then grabbed Grumpy's arm and pulled him out of the cell, as he screamed.

The Tin Man and the Lion retrieved the Scarecrow's legs from the dead tree, as well as any straw that came loose, and slid back down the ravine. Working together, they re-stuffed the Scarecrow and re-attached his upper and lower halves.

The Scarecrow jumped back up, as good as new. "Much better!" he said. Then he looked to the sky angrily. "But boy! If I ever get my hands on those monkeys..."

"I wouldn't worry about the monkeys," the Tin Man sighed. "I just hope Dorothy and the Care Bears are all right."

Just then, they all heard a familiar barking. The Lion jumped in shock and grabbed his tail again. "Wait!" he said, quickly calming down. "Is that...?"

"Yes!" the Tin Man said. "It's Toto!"

Indeed, the little dog came running towards them. He barked at them, as if trying to tell them something.

"I'm sorry, but I don't speak dog," the Lion chuckled.

"Hey!" the Scarecrow said. "He must know where Dorothy is!"

Toto barked again, as if to confirm.

"Then lead the way, our good dog!" the Tin Man cheered.

The trio followed Toto, across the ravine and into the mountains. He led them up rough cliffs and through perilous pathways. While Toto simply hopped from one rock to the next on certain cliffs, the trio used the Tin Man's ax and the Lion's strength and tail to climb.

Eventually, they arrived at the base of the castle.

"I knew it!" the Scarecrow spat. "Those monkeys must have got her. The Care Bears have gotta be in there, too."

"There's just one problem," the Lion said. "How are we supposed to get in?"

"There's gotta be something," the Scarecrow said, "Scientifically speaking." He blushed, realizing that he had used one of Bright Heart's trademark phrases.

"After all," the Tin Man said, "You know what the Care Bears said. Where there's a will...There's a way. And...That's the truth." He blushed as well. He had done the same thing, only with Lotsa Heart's trademark phrase.

They sneaked around the castle's perimeter, carefully looking for any opportunities to enter. When they approached the drawbridge and the front gate, they noticed the Witch's guards. They had elaborate armor, with tall helmets covering their yellow faces. They were marching and chanting in a strange way. The trio and Toto hid behind a rocky alcove.

"And how are we supposed to slip past THEM?" the Lion asked quietly.

The Scarecrow tried to think. Then, they saw the guards approaching their hiding spot. "I've got an idea," he said. He urged the trio to duck down. The Tin Man held Toto close to him. The line of guards moved right past them, without noticing that they were there.

"Wait for the last three," the Scarecrow whispered.

And they did just that. As the last three guards in line approached, the trio popped out, grabbed them, and pulled them down.

One small but chaotic fight later, the trio emerged, wearing the guards' uniforms. The Scarecrow pointed to the line, which began to move through the front gate. They swiftly caught up with the slowly marching soldiers, and got in line with them. The Tin Man held his hand to his chest, to keep Toto hidden under the uniform. The Lion tried hard to hide his tail, but it didn't matter much, since he was the last one in line.

They marched along with the guards, and were sealed in by the closing drawbridge.

Much later, the puppet versions of all of the Care Bears, except for Hugs and Tugs, lied all around the dungeon cell.

"We're the only ones left, Dorothy," Boq said.

"Yeah," Dorothy sighed nervously. "It won't be long before you and Hugs and Tugs end up just like the poor Care Bears."

Hugs and Tugs huddled close to each other.

"This isn't a very fun party at all," Tugs said fearfully.

"Right, Tugs," Hugs said, with just as much fear. "We want to have fun with puppets, not turn into them!"

"It's no use," Dorothy said in despair. "Next time the monkeys come down...I'm going to tell them that the Witch can have the shoes."

"Dorothy, no!" Boq said. "Don't give in. What about the Wizard? What about our wishes?"

Dorothy sniffled, and tears started down her face. "What about you?" she asked. "And Hugs and Tugs? And the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man, and the Lion? You're all the best friends that I've ever had, aside from Toto. I can't stand to see you all turn into puppets, too! It'll break my heart..."

She put a hand to her heart, thinking about her three missing friends. "Heart," she uttered to herself.

"You can do it, Dorothy," the Tin Man's voice echoed in her head. "All you need is a heart."

"And brains," the Scarecrow's voice added.

"And some courage," the Lion's voice said.

Dorothy sniffed, as she held back additional tears. "Heart...Brains...Courage..." she said to herself.

Boq, Hugs and Tugs stared at her curiously. She thought hard to herself.

"OK," she finally said. "I have a plan."

The dungeon door creaked open, and in stepped the Monkey King.

"Well, well!" he laughed, "There aren't many of you left."

Hugs and Tugs crowded around Boq out of fear.

"So, let's see here," the King said, walking past the Care Bear puppets, "There are three of you...That'll give YOU," he pointed to Dorothy, "Three more chances! Two if the boss decides to do both cubs at once!"

Dorothy took a deep breath, and began putting her plan into action. "Don't you think you all have enough puppets by now?" she asked.

"Enough puppets?" the King repeated. "Ha! Never! The boss can have as many puppets as she wants!"

"But what if she doesn't share them with you?" Dorothy asked. "Why can't you have all of those Care Bear puppets all to yourself?"

The King's eyes glowed, as they glanced between Dorothy and the puppets. "Yeah," he uttered. "Why can't I? The boss NEVER gives me anything of my very own! Except a tail knot, of course."

Dorothy stood up. "Then, why not take the puppets for your very own?"

"Yeah!" the King said. "Why not, indeed? I have a right to them!"

"Well, they're right there!" Dorothy said, pointing to the puppets. "And they're all yours!"

The King's face beamed brightly. Then, he zoomed right to the puppets and began playing with them.

"Haha!" the King laughed. "Fear us, for we are the mighty and terrible Care Bears! Care Bear STARE! Ouch! That REALLY hurts!"

Now that the King was distracted, Dorothy gestured to Boq, Hugs and Tugs. Together, they sneaked past the King, and slipped out the door.

As they shut it, the King jumped, and his crown jumped right off his head.

"Well," Boq said through the bars, "We're glad you like them so much! Now you can play with them as much as you want. Goodbye!" And the group promptly left, leaving the King in the dungeon.

He stared at the dungeon door in shock. Then, he looked at all of the Care Bear puppets, and their sad, lifeless expressions. Those black eyes and stitched frowns, staring right back at him. The King gulped. "On second thought...I don't think I like 'em THAT much."

The group walked away from their former cell. "Now what do we do?" Hugs asked.

"We gotta find that broomstick," Dorothy said. "That has to be the way to break the spell!"

They continued through the dungeons. Dorothy knew that they had to find the broomstick...But how they were going to get it, she didn't exactly know.


	16. The Confrontation

CHAPTER 15

In another part of the dungeon, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, and Toto peeked around walls and corners. They had already gotten rid of their disguises.

"How are we going to find Dorothy in here?" the Tin Man asked.

"Well," the Scarecrow said, thinking. "We'll just have to look around until we find her."

"And hope we get lucky," the Lion added.

"We should stay together," the Tin Man said.

"Good idea," the Scarecrow said. At once, they formed a line, with the Lion at the front, and Toto in the back. They sneaked through the dungeons, together.

Meanwhile, Dorothy, Boq, Hugs and Tugs did the same thing.

Both groups sneaked through the dark stone hallways, climbing and descending staircases, and looking around cautiously. Whenever they heard or spotted a group of guards or monkeys coming their way, they dashed behind walls. None of them knew exactly where they were going, as the dungeons were much like a maze. They just knew what they were trying to locate.

Elsewhere, Raspy and Clumsy also searched the dungeon, this time for their missing King.

"Yoo hoo!" Clumsy called. "Boss! Where'd ya go?"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Raspy called.

The King's voice came from inside his new cell. "I'm in here, you banana brains!" He clutched the bars and shook the door.

"Durr," Clumsy said, "How'd ya get in there, boss?"

"Yeah!" Raspy chuckled. "The big boss never said anything about lockin' YOU up!"

"Never mind what I'm doing in here!" the King said. "Just, get me OUT!"

Raspy and Clumsy stared and shrugged at each other. Then, they rushed at the door and broke it down...Right on top of the King.

"But...First," the flattened King said weakly, "Wait...For me...To step...AWAY from it..."

Up above, the Witch was waiting rather impatiently.

"Where could they be?" she said in an irritable way. "I should have been able to convert the Munchkin and the cubs by now! And, the girl would have given me those ruby shoes for sure!"

The King burst open the door and ran into the room. "Boss! Boss!" he shouted.

"About time you got back, King!" the Witch snapped. "And where are the newest additions to my collection?"

The King gulped hard, his legs shaking. "I'd hate to tell you...But...They've escaped! The girl, and the other remaining prisoners! They all got out!"

"WHAT!" the Witch exclaimed. "Well, don't just stand there like an idiot! Call up the Winkies! Gather the other monkeys! Have them search every square inch of this castle! Make sure that they DON'T get away!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the King saluted. "Right away, ma'am!" He rushed back out.

"Daugh!" the Witch exclaimed. "This time," she said, grabbing her broomstick, "I won't let them go without ME!"

The two groups managed to find their ways out of the dungeons and into the main halls of the castle. They continued their respective searches, and continued to dodge and hide from any Winkies or monkeys searching for them.

Eventually, they both came across separate hallways, only to hear Winkies marching down. The groups proceeded to walk backwards, away from the Winkies.

Before long, both groups walked into the same place: The castle's foyer. A large, crude-looking chandelier hung above them, in a very precarious fashion. Neither group knew of the other's presence, because they weren't looking in each other's directions.

That is...Until the Lion and Dorothy bumped into each other, quite literally.

They both screamed in surprise. Then, both groups turned around and screamed at each other. They climbed up each other, forming a bizarre totem.

Once they all calmed down, they stared up and down at each other.

"Dorothy!" the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion all said together.

"Boq! Hugs and Tugs!" the Tin Man said by himself.

Dorothy smiled at her friends. "Scarecrow! Tin Man! Lion!"

They all broke their totem apart and landed back on the stone floor. Dorothy hugged each of her friends happily.

"Are we glad to see you!" she said. "We thought we lost you!"

"And we thought we'd never find you!" the Tin Man said.

"Hey," the Scarecrow said solemnly, "Where are the Care Bears?"

Dorothy sighed. "You...You don't wanna know."

"Well," Tugs said, "We'd better get outta here before that witch finds us again!"

They were met by the sound of the Witch's disturbing cackle. "Too late, my dearies!"

The reunited group gasped and huddled close to each other, staring up at the Witch in fear.

"Aha!" the Witch said, as she stepped down a staircase. "Looks like the rest of your friends decided to join our little party. They've come to help crown the new Queen of Oz!"

Large groups of Winkies and monkeys approached them on all sides. The King, Raspy, and Clumsy were at the forefront, grinning in wicked anticipation.

"I'll do whatever I can to get those shoes!" the Witch said. "Even if I have to PRY THEM OFF YOUR FEET!"

The group, still huddled together, backed away towards the locked front door. All of the Witch's troops advanced toward them, right into the center. There didn't seem to be any escape for them now.

"Now, just cooperate with us," the King snickered. "It'll make things less PAINFUL!"

Just then, both Dorothy and the Scarecrow noticed the rope holding the chandelier in place.

"Tin Man!" the Scarecrow shouted. "The rope! Cut the rope!"

The Tin Man quickly nodded, and swung his ax. The sharp blade cut right through. That caused the unstable chandelier to come crashing down, right on top of the Witch's troops.

"No!" the Witch shouted.

"Run!" Dorothy shouted. They all made their getaway, deeper into the castle.

"They're getting away, you fools!" the Witch shouted. "After them!"

The troops took a while to get themselves organized again, before darting after the group.

"So!" the Scarecrow said as they all ran. "What's your plan to get the broomstick?"

"I don't know!" Dorothy said in anguish.

"I dunno about the rest of you," the Lion said, "But running's definitely a good idea right now!"

Almost everywhere they turned, though, more Winkies and monkeys came their way. They often encountered troops in one hallway and rushed back the other way, only to encounter more troops. They could only think to climb further up into the castle.

"This certainly IS the most terrible party ever!" Hugs cried.

"Where are Tenderheart and the others when we need them?" Tugs asked in vain.

They eventually ended up in the ramparts high up. Mobs of Winkies and monkeys were hot behind them.

"The Witch has to have a weakness!" the Scarecrow said.

"How would we know what it is, though?" Boq asked.

They ran along the ramparts, and through a turret tower. The cleaning monkey was in there, with his mop and bucket, casually mopping the floors. He jumped as the group rushed through. He stared down in their direction, then continued working again, trying to pretend that nothing ever happened.

The group screeched to a halt as they saw more Winkies and monkeys coming at them from the other direction. They ran right back through the turret, alarming the cleaning monkey once again. But, they had to stop and backtrack once again. They quickly found themselves trapped in the turret. The cleaning monkey stared up at them, not having the slightest idea of what to do with them.

"Oh, no!" Hugs cried.

"We're trapped!" Tugs said.

The cleaning monkey reminded Dorothy. "That's it!" she said. "I know how to defeat the Witch!"

Before Dorothy could explain further, the mobs all converged at the turret. The group had nowhere else to go, unless they wanted to jump out the turret window. But, that wouldn't have been a wise idea at all.

The Witch pushed through the mobs, cackling evilly.

"Give it up already!" she said. "There's no escape for you now!"

The cleaning monkey just stood there awkwardly. He didn't have the slightest clue about what to make of ANY of this.

"I've been thinking," the Witch said, with an evil smile on her green face. "I have enough puppets already. I have BETTER ideas for all of you...

"You three," she continued, pointing her broomstick at Boq, Hugs and Tugs, "I think I'll make you my personal servants. You'll help keep my castle clean, for ALL ETERNITY..." Boq pulled Hugs and Tugs close protectively.

"And you," the Witch said, poking the Lion's nose, "You'll make a fine addition to my stable. I might even make you my own personal pack mule..."

The Lion trembled horribly.

"And you," the Witch said, pointing at the Tin Man, "I'll have you deconstructed and used for scrap metal! It would be more useful in that form than in THIS one..."

The Tin Man raised his ax defensively, but he was scared, too.

"But first," the Witch continued, pointing to the Scarecrow, "I think I'll have some fun...With YOU."

The monkeys grabbed the Scarecrow and pulled him forward.

"Scarecrow!" Dorothy cried.

The Witch held the tip of the broomstick up, and waved her hand over it. At once, it became engulfed in flames. The Scarecrow stared in pure horror.

"I'm gonna start with a little bonfire!" the Witch said, as she moved the broomstick towards the Scarecrow. "To celebrate the new age of Oz!"

Dorothy glanced between the fiery broomstick and the cleaning monkey's bucket. She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it now! The monkey himself didn't do anything, other than grin awkwardly.

Dorothy quickly grabbed the bucket. The cleaning monkey flung his mop aside and flew out of the turret. She sidestepped the Scarecrow, and then, with a mighty heave, she hurled the water at the Witch.

"Wait!" the Witch cried in shock. "No!"

The water hit the Witch right on point, and also put out the fire. At once, steam quickly rose up from her as she screamed and dropped the broomstick. She looked down at her hands in fear. They were melting! And so was her face. She shot angrily, "You BRAT! Look what you've done!"

The entire group stared in horror and shock as the Witch's form shrunk and deformed.

"AUUUGGGHHHH!" she screamed. "I'm melting! Melting! MELLLLLLLLTTIINNNNNGGGGGG!"

Steam continued emanating from the Witch as she disappeared into her black clothes. Clear green liquid spread out from them on the floor. She continued screaming all the way, even as it turned into more of a weak whimper.

The monkeys and the Winkies, like Dorothy and the others, did nothing more than stare. The King looked on in an especially worried and dismayed fashion.

Finally, the Witch's screaming stopped, as did the rising steam. When everything cleared, she was nothing more than a big green puddle, a pile of black clothes, and a limp hat.

"Wow," Tugs said, "I didn't know THAT was gonna happen!"

Suddenly, all of the monkeys and Winkies blinked and shook their heads, even the King, Raspy and Clumsy.

"Huh?" the King exclaimed in confusion. "What's going on? Where am I?"

Back in the dungeon, the melancholy Care Bears puppets flashed with light, and turned right back into their original forms.

"Huh, wha?" Braveheart said in a daze. "What happened?"

The rest of the Care Bears looked down at themselves happily.

"We're back to normal!" Cheer cheered. "Dorothy musta broken the spell!"

Up in the turret, after the monkeys and Winkies came back to their senses, they stared down at what remained of the Wicked Witch of the West.

"The Witch!" the King exclaimed. "She...She melted!" They all turned their attention to Dorothy and the others. "You...You all did this, didn't you?"

Dorothy didn't know exactly what to say. She did do it on purpose, but she wasn't going to admit it while the Witch's mobs had her and the others cornered. They waited to see what the mobs would do to them.

The King stared up at them with a disapproving look. "Well...If you did...Then allow us to say...Thank you!" His expression turned into a happy one, and he flapped his wings.

Dorothy and the others looked at the King confusedly.

"Thank us?" the Tin Man asked in disbelief. "But...We destroyed your leader!"

"Yeah, she WAS our leader," the King huffed, "But only because we were all under her control! You see...She cast a spell to make us all her slaves. But now the spell is broken, and we're all free!"

The monkeys and Winkies all cheered for their re-gained freedom. The entire group looked on happily.

Suddenly, the cheering stopped. "Oh, right," the King said embarrassingly. "So, eh...Sorry for causing you all so much trouble. No hard feelings?"

Dorothy and the others all smiled at each other. Hugs and Tugs even gave a nod back up at her.

"None at all," Dorothy said. She and the King shook hands.

Moments later, the group retrieved the Care Bears out of the dungeon. Dorothy managed to retrieve the Witch's broomstick from the turret, just as they set out to do.

"Well!" the Lion said in good spirits. "Everything turned out well after all! I knew it would!"

"Me too!" the Scarecrow said.

"And I did, too," the Tin Man said.

The flying monkeys led them all out the front gate.

"Well, since you helped us out," the King said, "We can give you anything you want. Just name it, and we monkeys can get it."

"Well," Boq said, "We already got what we came here for. All we need to do now is return to the Emerald City..."

"Ah!" the King said. "Stop right there! You wanna go to the Emerald City? Well, you don't have to walk all that way back. Let us monkeys help you!"

"As long as you don't try anything funny," Grumpy said.

"Cross my heart, and my tail," the King said. He turned around, showing his hands behind his back. "And NOT my fingers."

Dorothy and the others took the monkeys up on their offer. They were all lifted into the air. Boq, Toto, and all of the Care Bears had their own monkey; Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man had two monkeys each; and the Lion had a group of ten carrying him. They all took off, right across the mountains and the wastelands.

However, the wastelands were starting to change. The clouds were parting, and rays of sunlight began to peek through and wash over the terrain. Grass, flowers, and leaves started to return, and things were overall looking much brighter.

"Look at that!" the Tin Man shouted. "The land is returning to its original healthy state." He sniffled, "It makes me so happy..."

"And you know what?" the Lion asked. "I don't even mind seeing it all from up here. It's kinda fun, actually!"

"Yeah!" the Scarecrow cheered. "Now that the Wicked Witch of the West is gone, her spell over the entire land is gone, too."

"I bet it will look so beautiful once it recovers fully," Boq said.

Dorothy looked down with a warm, uplifting smile. Once again, she had saved one of the lands of Oz from its terrible influence.

In the midst of the flying monkeys, the King, Raspy, and Clumsy were riding their former master's broomstick.

"Haha, whoo!" the King whooped. "Maybe we can keep this after the Wizard accepts it!"


	17. The Wizard Revealed

CHAPTER 16

"SO!" the huge head of the Wizard bellowed. "YOU HAVE RETURNED!"

Dorothy, Tenderheart, Cheer, and Wish stood before him, with the others behind them. Dorothy had the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West in her hands. They still looked quite afraid, but they were mostly anxious.

"Yes, sir!" Dorothy said. "We've gotten the Wicked Witch's broomstick, just like you said!" She walked up to the small steps leading up to the head, placed the broomstick on them, and then backed away.

"INTERESTING!" the Wizard said. "HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO RETRIEVE IT?"

"We melted her, sir!" Cheer said.

"MELTED HER!" the Wizard repeated. "HOW VERY CLEVER OF YOU!" He paused and appeared to ponder. Everyone else stood and watched him in uneasy anticipation.

"Now can you grant everyone's wishes?" Wish asked. "They worked so hard for this!"

The Wizard continued pondering. Finally, he said, "I SHALL REQUIRE MORE TIME! COME BACK TOMORROW!"

"Tomorrow?" the entire group shouted at once.

"Now, wait a minute there!" Wish said in a confrontational way. "You've had plenty of time already!"

"That's right!" Tenderheart said. "You can't promise to grant everyone's wishes and then back out on it!"

"Yeah!" the Scarecrow shouted. "What about my brains?"

"And my heart?" the Tin Man asked.

"And my courage?" the Lion asked reluctantly.

"SILENCE!" the Wizard roared. "THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ HAS EVERY INTENTION TO GRANT YOUR REQUESTS! HE REQUIRES MORE TIME TO DECIDE ON THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION!"

As the Wizard continued talking, Hugs and Tugs noticed something odd off to the side. It was a small booth, with a green curtain. Tugs pulled on Hugs, and the two cubs, along with Toto, ran over to the booth, without the Wizard noticing. When they pulled back the curtain...

...Oh! There was a very familiar looking man. I wonder who he was?

The strange, lanky man was controlling a strange sort of machine, and shouting the Wizard's lines into a primitive-looking microphone.

"Hey, mister!" Hugs called. "Who are you?"

The man took a sideways glance towards the cubs, and jumped in surprise. But, he continued shouting into the microphone, as if they weren't even there. "The great and powerful Oz," he said, "Has the utmost authority in this land! He shall not be denied his time when he requires it!"

"Hey, everyone!" Tugs called to the group. "Look what we found!"

The entire group turned to see the strange man. He looked their way, trembling terribly. He shouted into the microphone again, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"

But it was no use. Everyone walked up to the booth, and the strange man within.

"Hmm," Bright Heart pondered. "I calculate...That THIS man...Must be the REAL Wizard!"

The Wizard, now exposed, stared blankly and nervously. Then, he sighed, and shut off the machine. He walked out of the booth with great shame.

"Well," the Wizard said, "I suppose there's no use in fooling you any longer. Yes, it is I, the 'great and powerful Oz'."

"Why, look at you," Boq said. "You're just an ordinary man! How can you be the great Wizard of Oz?"

The Wizard drew a long and heavy sigh. "That, my friends," he said, "Is a long and complicated story. Yes, I am nothing more than a lowly stage magician. A rather flimsy Wizard, I must admit."

"Then what's that machine for?" Hugs asked.

"Oh, that," the Wizard said. "It's used for nothing more than simple illusions and parlor tricks. I created it, to give myself a more wizardly presence."

The Wizard chuckled nervously. But, everyone in the group, including the Care Bears, stared at him with angry, disapproving looks.

"All this time," the Tin Man said, "You fooled us!"

"And you sent us to do a pointless errand!" Grumpy said.

"Oh, no!" the Wizard screamed. "I, uh..." He sighed again. "All right...I suppose I must tell the truth. You see...When I heard that you all had defeated the Wicked Witch of the East, I was rather skeptical. So, I sent you to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West as well, just to see if you actually did do what I thought you did. And, goodness gracious...You did it. You have all proven yourselves. Congratulations..." He gulped and grinned.

"But what about all of our wishes?" Wish asked. "The Scarecrow's brains, the Tin Man's heart, the Lion's courage, Boq's confidence...Not to mention Dorothy's special place, and a way back home to Care-a-lot!"

"And a great decoration for our party!" Tugs said.

"Yeah!" Braveheart said. "What are you gonna do about those?"

The Wizard thought frantically. He was not without his wits, though, and he quickly thought something up.

"Don't dismay!" he shouted decisively. "I know just what to do!"

He led everyone to a hidden area, right behind the throne itself. He revealed a large trunk and patted it.

"Is that REALLY how we're gonna get our wishes?" the Scarecrow asked skeptically.

"Why, yes!" the Wizard said. "So...You! My fine friend of straw."

The Scarecrow stepped forward, accompanied by Bright Heart.

"And you too, if you want, my masked friend," the Wizard chuckled.

"Scientifically speaking," Bright Heart said, "There must be something in that trunk that will fit the Scarecrow's desires."

"Trust me, there is!" the Wizard said. "Now then! Just because you are not graceful on your feet and you can be rather slow at times, doesn't mean that you don't have a brain! On the contrary, you make impeccable use of the brains you do have, even if they might only be straw.

"As you know, people all over, both here in Oz and back where I come from, are in pursuit of higher learning, so that they may become the deep thinkers they aspire to be. Those people are no different than you, my friend. But! There is one thing that they have that you don't. And that is a diploma.

"Therefore," the Wizard said, rummaging through his trunk, "By the power invested in me by the Emerald City..." He pulled out a rolled-up diploma, wrapped in a ribbon. "It is my distinct pleasure to award you this honorary degree in Thinkology. May this unlock the many mysteries that you always wished to delve into."

The Scarecrow smiled and happily took the diploma. He held it up to his chest, and then put a finger to his head. He thought for a moment, and then said, "The perimeter of a triangle is the sum of its side lengths." He widened his eyes in surprise and beamed.

"I must say, Scarecrow," Bright Heart said proudly, "That was astounding!"

"Wow!" the Scarecrow said. "I'll say! I can think so many great thoughts now!" He grabbed the Wizard's hands and shook them as hard as he could. "Thank you, Wizard! Thank you so much!"

"Anytime, my friend," the Wizard chuckled humbly. The Scarecrow and Bright Heart returned to the group.

"Now! Who will be next?" the Wizard asked. "Ah! You, my metallic friend!" He pointed to the Tin Man.

Both the Tin Man and Lotsa Heart came forward.

"So," Lotsa Heart said, "What's in there for the Tin Man?"

"Oh, you'll see, my pink pachyderm friend," the Wizard said, before turning his attention back to the Tin Man. "Now, then! Your chest may be rather hollow, but that doesn't mean that you don't have a heart to speak of. In fact, most people would give anything to have as big of a heart as you have displayed.

"As you know, some people, again, both here in Oz and back where I come from, spend the vast majority of their time helping others, whether it be good deeds or merely offering moral support. Much like you do, my small furry friends. And they, Tin Man, are no different than you are. But! There is one thing they have that you don't. And that is a testimonial.

"Therefore," the Wizard rummaged through his trunk again, "It is my distinct pleasure..." He pulled out a large pocket watch shaped like a heart. "To award you this token, as a testimonial to your kindness and your devotion to others. May this remind you, and all who lay eyes on you, of the massive heart that you truly possess."

The Tin Man gently and gratefully accepted the watch. He put it up to his invisible ear and gasped. "Oh! It even ticks. Listen!" He let Lotsa Heart listen to it first, followed by all of the others.

"It fits you perfectly!" Lotsa Heart said. "And that's the truth!"

"Thank you so much, Wizard," the Tin Man said with a slight bow. "I shall keep and treasure this for all time." He opened the latch on his chest and put the watch right in. "Now everyone can hear it in here."

"Yes, indeed," the Wizard said. The Tin Man and Lotsa Heart returned to the group.

"Now!" the Wizard said. "You there, my beastly friend!"

The Lion pointed at his chest questioningly and smiled humbly.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Braveheart said, pulling the Lion up. "The Wizard has to have something good for you!"

"Indeed, I do, my orange feline friend," the Wizard said. "Now! Just because you prefer to avoid danger and confrontation doesn't make you a coward. You may be confusing wisdom with cowardice. Sometimes, running away is the best course of action. However, you have proved that you know not only when to run away but also when to stand firm in the face of great danger.

"As you know, some people, both here in Oz and back where I come from, face danger on a fairly regular basis, all in the name of protecting those who can't protect themselves. And those people are no different than you are. But! There is one thing they have that you don't. And that is a medal.

"Therefore," the Wizard rummaged through once again, "By the power invested in me..." He pulled out a shiny medal of honor. "I present to you the Medal of Honor, to recognize your outstanding courage and wisdom. May this inspire much courage, not only in yourself, but in all who lay eyes on you."

The Wizard stuck the medal on the Lion's chest, right in the middle of his mane. The Lion looked down at his new medal and blushed.

"Oh, gosh," he said. "Call me speechless."

"No, not speechless," Braveheart said. "Truly brave! Like me."

"Oh, thank you so much!" the Lion said, bowing before the Wizard. "I'll show this proudly everywhere I go. I feel much braver already!"

"And thank you, as well," the Wizard said. Both lions returned to the group.

"Now then," the Wizard continued, "I believe I have something in here for one more of you. And that would be...You! My fine friend from the East."

Boq smiled proudly and stepped forward, with Hugs and Tugs right behind him.

"Now's the time, Boq!" Tugs said.

"Yeah!" Hugs said. "He's gotta have something good for you!"

"Oh, I certainly do, my dear cubs," the Wizard said. "Now then! It is only natural to be shy, especially in matters concerning the heart. As those two have proved, however, you can open yourself fully around the right people. It's all a matter of patience, intuition, and timing.

"Of course, people all over, no matter where they are, pursue the loves of their lives, regardless of how much their hearts get broken. And they are no different than you are. But! There is one thing they have that you don't. And that is a memento.

"Therefore," the Wizard went through his trunk one final time. "I am delighted to honor you with..." He pulled out a scrapbook. "This book, as a reminder of your open heart and your dedication to those you care for. May this drive you towards the romance and family that you've always wanted, and inspire others to do the same."

Boq took the book and went through it, while Hugs and Tugs looked over his shoulders. Inside, there were many vintage photographs of happy couples and happy families.

"This is absolutely beautiful," Boq said, shedding a few tears. "Everyone, look at this!" He passed the book over to everyone, so that they could get a good look at it.

"It is beautiful," Hugs said.

"It should help you find love, for sure," Tugs said.

"Thank you, Wizard," Boq said, bowing. "Thank you so much. This has already provided me with much inspiration and motivation to find a beautiful wife."

"Think nothing of it," the Wizard said.

Boq hugged both Hugs and Tugs closely and lovingly. Dorothy was on the verge of happy tears herself.

"Well," Cheer said, "You may be a terrible wizard. But, you would make a great Care Bear!"

"Oh, please," the Wizard chuckled. "That is too much, really."

"Oh, you've given everyone such wonderful things," Dorothy said. Her expression drooped, though. "But...I don't suppose you have anything in that trunk for me? Or the Care Bears?"

"Oh yeah!" Wish said. "What about Dorothy and her special place? And getting us back to Care-a-lot?"

"Patience, my friends!" the Wizard said with much delight. "I have just the thing!"

He then led everyone to the back of the throne room, through a door. Inside, there was an absolutely massive hot air balloon. Although it had deflated, it had a sense of grandeur to it.

"Wow!" Tugs said. "That's the biggest balloon we've ever seen!"

"Imagine if it was all blown up!" Hugs said. "That'd be the perfect party decoration!"

"Not only that," Tenderheart said, "But it should also get us right back to Care-a-lot!"

"Indeed, my dear Tenderheart Bear!" the Wizard said. "This hot air balloon was the vessel that first brought me to this strange but wonderful land of Oz. You see, I was once a traveling showman, touring the entire Midwest and showing my wondrous tricks and creations. This was one of them. As fate would have it, though, it got caught in a cyclone, with me in it."

"I calculate," Bright Heart said, "That it would be exactly the way WE got here, too."

"Yes, indeed," the Wizard said. "Funny how meteorological phenomena work sometimes. Regardless, this vessel is in good enough condition, that I can inflate it once again, and use it to return all of you to Care-a-lot...And you, Dorothy, to wherever your special place may be."

"We'd be happy to let you take us!" Cheer said.

"And, as a little something extra," the Wizard said, "I would be happy to donate the balloon to all of you Care Bears, as a final token of my gratitude. And yes, as a rather exotic party decoration, if that's how you wish to use it."

"Wow, really?" Hugs asked. "That's fantastic!"

"Thank you, Mr. Wizard!" Tugs said. "Thank you!"

"No," the Wizard said. "Thank YOU. All of you."

"And then, when we do get back to Care-a-lot," Wish said to Dorothy, "We can help you find your special place from there!"

"Yeah, you can," Dorothy said with a smile. She was thinking hard about where that would be, if it wasn't in Oz...


	18. Home

CHAPTER 17

The entire Emerald City gathered in front of the Wizard's palace. Dorothy and all of her friends stood with the Wizard. Right next to them was the Wizard's hot air balloon, properly inflated and tied down. All of the citizens stared with curiosity, and most of them discussed among themselves what this occasion could be.

"Citizens of the Emerald City!" the Wizard shouted authoritatively. "I have come out to make a very special announcement!"

The murmur of the crowd increased in volume. The Wizard promptly hushed them, though.

"Now then," the Wizard said, holding his hat down, "It is with both great sadness that I inform you...I will be stepping down from my title of the Wizard of Oz."

The crowd gasped.

"Do not fret, my friends!" the Wizard said. "I have my reasons. I must return to my kind, high in the sky...In Care-a-lot, where the Care Bears live. And they will, of course, be my accomplices and my guides."

The Care Bears all beamed proudly as the crowd applauded. Grumpy sneered playfully. The Wizard may have been lying...But, as they all admitted earlier, he wouldn't be too out of place in Care-a-lot.

"All of us will take it upon ourselves to help Dorothy find her special place!" the Wizard said. "It's what we hailing from Care-a-lot live for, after all!"

The crowd applauded for both the Wizard and the Care Bears.

"Taking my place," the Wizard continued, "As the rulers of this fair land...Are these four fine fellows!" He grandly presented the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, and Boq. "The Scarecrow, with his bright brains and incomparable rationale...The Tin Man, with his ample heart and immeasurable kindness...The Lion, with his shining courage and grand wisdom...And Boq, with his open heart and his unending determination. Together, they shall rule this land of Oz, for as long as they are able! Please treat them with the utmost respect and honor, as you have for me!"

The crowd applauded loudly and ecstatically. The four friends waved and bowed, showing off their gifts from the Wizard to assert themselves.

Among the crowd, Boq spotted a fair lady, with bright red hair and a beautiful green dress. She gave him a gentle look and wave, and Boq waved back and blushed. He held his scrapbook out to her openly. Hugs and Tugs looked on at them both happily.

"And now!" the Wizard said. "With this fantastic vessel that first brought me to you, I shall venture high into the heavens, toward my home in Care-a-lot!" The Wizard opened the door to the balloon's basket and walked in. The rest of the Care Bears walked in after them. There was more than enough room in there for them all, and Dorothy as well.

Tenderheart was the last one of the adult Care Bears to enter. But, before he did so, he beckoned to the cubs. "Let's go, Hugs and Tugs," he said.

"So soon, Tenderheart?" Hugs asked.

"Can we say goodbye to Boq first?" Tugs asked.

"Of course you can," Tenderheart said.

Boq turned to the cubs and gave them a warm smile. "Thank you, Hugs and Tugs," he said. "For everything."

"And thank YOU, Mr. Boq," Tugs said.

The three of them gathered together for one last group hug. Dorothy looked on just as happily.

"Dorothy," Tenderheart said, "Are you ready to go, too?"

"I think so," Dorothy said with a nod. Then she looked around for Toto. "Wait," she said worriedly. "Where's Toto? Toto! Toto!"

Toto's barking captured her attention. She looked his way...And, to the surprise of her and everyone else, there he was, in the arms of none other than the Good Witch of the North!

"The Good Witch!" Dorothy gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello," the Good Witch said gently as she walked up the palace steps, "Dorothy, Care Bears. I could not miss this event for all of Oz. I have also brought along someone very special..."

Next to the Good Witch, a pillar of red light, as pure and sparkling as a ruby, emanated out of the ground. Out of the pillar formed a stunningly beautiful woman, with flowing red hair and a gown made of pure ruby. Dorothy and her friends stared in stunned awe, while the crowd talked and murmured excitedly.

"Dorothy," the Good Witch said, "Allow me to introduce you to my sister...Glinda, the Good Witch of the South."

"Hello, Dorothy," Glinda said. Her voice seemed to glitter like rubies as well.

"Hello, Glinda," Dorothy stuttered. She and everyone else bowed to her.

"The reason me and my sister are here," Glinda said, "Is, we wish to inform you of the power of the ruby shoes."

Dorothy looked back down at the shoes, which still had not left her feet. "But," she said, "I thought you didn't know."

"I didn't know," the Good Witch of the North said. "But, Glinda does."

"Indeed, I do," Glinda said warmly. "You see...The ruby shoes have the power to grant one wish to whoever wears them."

The Care Bears stepped out of the balloon's basket. "One wish?" Wish repeated. "You mean Dorothy had the power to find her special place all this time?"

"Of course," Glinda said. "And, that is why the Wicked Witch of the West wanted them so desperately. She wanted to use them to make her one wish to take over Oz. Just like the Wicked Witch of the East made her wish to take over Munchkin Land."

"Well!" the Wizard said. "I assume this means Dorothy has no need for this balloon, then!"

"Only if that's what she decides," Glinda said.

"So," Dorothy said, "I can wish to go to my special place, whenever I like?"

"Whenever you like," Glinda said.

"Dorothy," the Tin Man said, "Have you thought about where your special place might be?"

"Kinda," Dorothy said.

"Well, think harder about it," the Scarecrow said. "It would be easier to get to if you know where it is."

"Hopefully, it will be that simple," the Lion said.

Dorothy thought hard. "My special place," she said to herself.

After much thought, she gasped. "I know! I know where my special place is!"

"That's great, Dorothy!" Cheer said. "Where is it?"

"My special place," Dorothy said, "Is...Is..." She then sighed. "Is back home, with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. My special place...It's been within my reach this whole entire time. I don't need to go any further than my own backyard to find it."

"Fantastic, Dorothy!" the Good Witch of the North said. "As Glinda said, whenever you are ready."

"Whenever I'm ready, huh?" Dorothy repeated. She looked back at all of her friends...The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, Boq, not to mention the Care Bears, and Hugs and Tugs. "But," she sniffled, "I guess that means I have to say goodbye." Her four Oz friends looked sadly back at her.

She walked up to Boq first, knelt down, and hugged him. "Goodbye, Boq," she said, letting a few tears loose. "I hope you find the love of your life, and the family that you've always wanted."

"Thank you, Dorothy," Boq said. "I have to say, though...I may already be off to a good start." He gave another warm, gentle look to the red-haired lady in the crowd.

"I'm glad to hear that," Dorothy said.

She let go of Boq. Hugs and Tugs then joined her as she walked up to the Lion and put her arms around his bulky frame. "Goodbye, Lion," she said. "You'll always be the king of all animals to me."

"Aww, Dorothy," the Lion said gently. "You're much too kind. I do like the title, though." He blushed the heaviest he ever had blushed.

Dorothy went up to and hugged the Tin Man next. "Goodbye, Tin Man," she said. "You've got the biggest heart out of anyone I know, other than the Care Bears."

"Oh, stop it," the Tin Man said, trying to hold back tears himself. "You're gonna make me rust again. Well...I now know that I have a heart...Because it's breaking."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dorothy said, drying his tears. "At least it'll never go away now."

Last, but certainly not least, Dorothy hugged the Scarecrow. "I think I might miss you most of all," she said. "You're the first friend I ever made here. And I'm sure you'll be the best and wisest ruler that Oz has ever had."

"I know I will, Dorothy," the Scarecrow said. "You take good care of yourself, too."

Dorothy then turned to the Wizard and the Care Bears. Hugs and Tugs joined them all inside the basket.

"I'm sure we'll meet again," Dorothy said to them. "Right?"

"Of course!" the Wizard said. "If you ever have a need for any of us, we'll be there." The Care Bears all nodded and smiled in agreement.

Dorothy nodded back, then turned back to the two Good Witches. "All right," she said, "I'm ready." The Good Witch of the North handed Toto off to Dorothy.

"Good," Glinda said. "Now, all you have to do is click your heels three times, and make your wish with all of your heart."

Dorothy clicked her heels together, three times as Glinda said. She took one last look at the Emerald City and everyone in it, then closed her eyes and made her wish...

"I...I wish," she said, "To return to my home, in Kansas, and to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry..."

She soon heard a voice. "Dorothy! Dorothy, wake up!"

Dorothy opened her eyes. And there she was, back in her old bed, in her old room. She looked up and saw Aunt Em standing in the doorway. Toto was lying right on her, too.

"Aunt Em!" Dorothy said. "Where are we?"

"Why, at home, of course," Aunt Em said. "Now, get up and dressed. Your breakfast is getting cold."

"Well, come on, Toto," Dorothy said. He jumped off of her, and she slipped out of bed and got her robe on. As she did so, she looked around her room.

"Wow, it worked," she said to herself. "I AM back home. But..." She sighed depressingly. "Was it really all just a dream? No Oz? No Wizard? No Scarecrow, no Tin Man, no Lion?"

She walked out into the kitchen, and saw a familiar looking man sitting at the table, along with three boys her own age.

"Oh, and Dorothy," Aunt Em said, "This man, and these nice boys, just came by and asked to see you. The man calls himself the Wizard."

"Well, hello, Dorothy!" the man said heartily.

"Hello, Wizard," Dorothy said with a smile. She knew his face very well, indeed. She sat down at the table.

"And these boys just moved in today," Aunt Em said. "Their names are Jack, Ray, and Bert."

"Hey there, Dorothy," Jack, the lanky boy with the straw-like blonde hair, said heartily. "I don't exactly have a lot of brains, but I hope we can be good friends anyway. Uh, what are we having for breakfast again?"

"Hello, Dorothy," Ray, the well-built boy with a funnel-like cap, said gently. "People in my old town say I don't have much of a heart. But, once you get to know me, I can be a very good friend, too."

"Hey, Dorothy," Bert, the bulky boy with the messy brown hair, said bashfully. "I'm not exactly what you would call courageous. But, I hope you won't be embarrassed by having me as a friend."

"Well, it's very nice to meet all of you," Dorothy said, obviously quite humbled. There was something very familiar about each of these new boys in town, and it gave her a sense of great comfort.

"Well, I'm very happy that you all are getting to know each other," the Wizard said. "Oh yes, and there's something I'd very much like to give you." Out of his coat, he pulled a shoe box.

"Why, thank you," Dorothy said. She opened the box up...And, to her amazement, there were the ruby shoes! She pulled them out and admired them.

"My, Dorothy," Aunt Em commented. "Those are some very beautiful shoes. Wherever did you get them?"

Dorothy chuckled. "That's between me and the Wizard here."

"Yes, indeed," the Wizard chuckled. "Oh yes, and...I'm sure we would all like to have a word with a certain Mrs. Gulch."

Toto panted and barked happily.


	19. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

"And from that day forward," the Professor finished, "Dorothy and the Wizard, not to mention Jack, Ray, and Bert, became the very best of friends."

"Wow!" Karen cheered. "That was a great story, Mr. Marvelo!"

"Why, thank you kindly, young lady," the Professor chuckled. "And what about you, young man? Did you enjoy it after all? Or was it nothing but the rambling of an old loony?"

Chris chuckled as well, against his better judgment. "Well...You may be a bad magician," he said, "But you're sure a good storyteller, I'll give you that."

"If you say so," the Professor said with a smirk, as he got up from his chair.

"I'm wondering, though," Chris said. "You...You're not really the...The Wizard...Are you? Not...THAT Wizard? And those shoes? They're not...The REAL ones? Are they?" Those shoes certainly looked fake before. But now, Chris wasn't so sure. Was he falling for the Professor's tricks himself?

"Maybe, maybe not," the Professor said. He showed Chris, Karen, and the other children the ruby shoes one last time. "It depends on your levels of belief and skepticism. Just remember...Your belief in yourself may be just the key to making your biggest wishes...Come true." He carefully put the shoes back into their box.

Just then, a female voice called from the other side of the curtain. "Mr. Marvelo!"

"Ah! I've been expecting her," the Professor said. "Excuse me, children." He took the box in his hands and walked back out onto the stage. Chris, Karen, and the others followed him.

Standing in front of the stage was a young woman, possibly in her early 20s, wearing a white skirt and a blue jean jacket. Standing with her was a trio of young men, one lanky, one with a funnel-like cap, and one bulky. "I'm here to pick up my shoes," the woman said.

"Yes, of course," the Professor said. He bent down and handed the box over to her. "Here you are, Ms. Gale."

The faces of Karen and her friends lit up, as they imagined who this woman could be. Chris looked at her curiously, then back at his sister in disbelief. It couldn't really be HER, could it?

The Professor then stepped off of the stage and left with the woman and the three men. "Thank you, children," he said gratefully with a hearty wave, "And may you have a wondrous rest of your day here at the carnival! Be sure to visit Professor Marvelo again!"

Karen grinned and giggled happily. Chris shrugged and grinned as well.

"Now do you believe in all this, Chris?" Karen asked.

"I'll let you know after we get home," Chris chuckled. "But I have to say...Wouldn't mind doing this again sometime."

The two of them, and the rest of the children, exited the tent as well.

Backstage, and up in the rafters above, the seven Care Bears, as well as Hugs and Tugs, laughed happily together. It was obvious that they had as much fun listening to the Professor's story as the Professor himself had telling it.


End file.
